ROD PAMPLING, named by exBritish Open winner Peter Thomson, as a player with "winning potential", shoved aside the big names to take the lead in the Coolum Classic yesterday.

The Brisbane player produced his best performance of the year to tie for 11th in last week's New Zealand Open. Pampling started his second round three shots behind US PGA winner and overnight leader Wayne Grady (66) and two adrift of hardened US tour campaigner, Craig Parry (65) from West Australia.

But, in testing winds, he left both his fancied rivals behind, producing a superb five under second round 67 to lead the field on 136, eight under par.

The highlight of the day was New Zealander Michael Long's five iron albatross during his round of 67 which moved him up the leaderboard to be five under and three behind Pampling.