Teenage rookie Rory McIlroy produced a three-under-par second round to take a share of third place, four shots off the lead, in the Mastercard Masters in Melbourne.

McIlroy followed his first-round 70 with a 69 today to move to five under, behind leader Robert Allenby and his Australian compatriot Aaron Baddeley.

Ulsterman McIlroy carded six birdies today, dropping only three shots on the fourth, 11th and 18th holes to join Antipodeans Terry Pilkadaris, Rick Kulacz and Scott Strange and Swede Daniel Chopra in third.

Englishman Peter Baker was among those in joint eighth on four-under. The Shropshire veteran followed his first-round 68 with a level-par 72 today with two bogies and a pair of birdies.

Baker was joined on 140 after two rounds by Aussie quartet Rod Pampling, Kurt Barnes, Stuart Appleby and Matthew Zions.

In a tournament dominated by players on home turf, Baker's countryman Richard Finch was a shot further back in a share of 13th place.

The Yorkshireman's 71, after a 70 yesterday, saw him reach the half-way stage at three under ahead of the weekend.

David Horsey went some way to making up for his nightmare first-round 77 with a masterful 65 today to pull back to two under in 20th spot.

Irishman Damien McGrane was one under after rounds of 72 and 71 while Scot Peter Whiteford remained level par with successive rounds of 72.