AMERICAN duo John Daly and Tom Watson escaped the embarrassment of missing the cut but remain well adrift of joint leaders. Craig Parry and Bradley Hughes at the Australian Masters in Melbourne.

The Americans improved significantly on their opening 775 at Huntingdale as former winners Hughes and Parry charged to a nine under par 137.

The Australians lead after the second round by two shots from compatriots Greg Chalmers, Peter Lonard and Andre Stoltz and Canada's Rick Gibson.

Daly, the British Open champion, fired a five under par 68 to finish eight shots behind the leaders, while Watson scraped in for the final two days at one over after a second round 70.

"I'm proud about being able to come back after my poor first round. That meant something to me," said Watson a five time British Open winner who described his putting yesterday as embarrassing and atrocious.

Daly corrected a fault with his driving after dropping shots at the second and third holes to resurrect his score around the turn.

"After an eagle on seven and birdies on eight and nine I started to get more and more confidence. But it was a nerve wracking back nine," said Daly.

Parry, winner in 1992 and 1994, has recorded only one bogey in 36 holes in adding a 66 to his opening round of 71.

Hughes, who won this title in between Parry's triumphs has been more consistent with scores' of 69 and 68.

. Europe's women golfers will do battle for a prize fund of £150,000 in the McDonald's WPGA Championship at Gleneagles on August 8th-11th but the biggest winner will be charity.

The event is the first in a five year sponsorship and is being organised by the Professional Golfers' Association, whose executive director Sandy Jones said "The McDonald's LPGA championship" is one of the majors in the United States and we are confident that this will quickly be seen as such in Europe.

This is the first occasion a WPGA event has been incorporated onto the American Express Tour and the first time a Tour event has been played solely for charity."