Tom Sullivan emerged as the clear leader at the half-way point in the Belmont Invitation yesterday -- but Bermudian professional Dwayne Pearman is breathing down his neck.

Sullivan, whose 66 left him tying for the lead with fellow American Tom Waters at the start of the day, went round the Warwick course in even par-70 on day two of the annual tournament.

Pearman was the only one of the leading four players to better his first-day score, carding a two-under-par 68 to leave him on 137, one shot behind Sullivan.

Waters scored a 72 to leave him tied for third place on 138 with Kevin Morris, while defending champion Paul Parajeckas fell back to fourth after a 71.

Joining Parajeckas on 139 was Bermuda's Dave Purcell, the only amateur to break par on the second day, with a 69. And another local amateur to make good was former national soccer and national cricket team star Winston (Coe) Trott, who returned an even-par 70 to add to his first-round 71, leaving him tied for eighth place.

Sullivan, the professional at the Quaboag Club, near Worcester, Massachusetts, was content after another steady round.

"It was nothing spectacular, but I guesss 136 equals two 68s and I've got to be happy with that,'' said Sullivan.

"I've always had trouble following one good round with another one. And a one-shot lead with 36 holes to go is no big deal. To be honest, this is not really a course that suits me -- I like to use my driver more than I can here.'' Sullivan has often been among the top performers in the Invitation, without ever having won the title, but many believe this could be his year.

"This should be a fine tournament and whoever wins it, we'll all be pleased for him. We're all friends here. Everyone at the Belmont is so nice and hospitable and I always look forward to coming here.'' Pearman, who won the Invitation six years ago, moved into second place with a solid, two-under 68.

"I got two birdies, at the first and the fourth, and no bogeys. I was hitting the ball well, but the putts just weren't going down,'' said the Ocean View professional. "But that's the game of golf and you've got to take what comes.

There's still a long way to go.'' Waters was another leading contender to suffer from lack of success on the greens. "I felt I was playing just as well as the first day, except I kept missing the putts. I missed two good birdie putts on the 17th and 18th,'' he said.

Kevin Morris, the professional at the Westchester Hills Club in New York, repeated the 69 he achieved in the first round to join Waters in third place.

Parajeckas, meanwhile, is still well set for another pot at the title after going round in even par to leave himself three shots off the lead.

But like the first day, the back nine was giving him much more trouble than the front. "I'm four-under for the front side and three-over for the back side and I've really got to work on the later holes,'' said Parajeckas.

"I bogeyed 13, then three-putted 14 and even though I managed to birdie 16 to go two-under, I bogeyed 17 and 18.'' Indeed on the 18th green, Parajeckas under-hit an eight-foot putt where on the first day he sunk a 30-footer.

"I was hitting the ball pretty well, but this whole game is about putting.

The greens seemed to be a bit slower late in the day.'' Hot on the heels of the leading pack were two Canadians, Craig Marseilles and Rick Sovereign, who bettered their first-day scores to strengthen their challenge.

Marseilles tied with Pearman for the honour of best round of the day, his two-under 68 leaving him on even-par 140, four shots off the lead.

Sovereign, from Toronto, was one shot further back, shooting a 70 to add to his first-round 71.

Photos by Arthur Bean TOP MAN -- American Tom Sullivan plays his way to an even-par 70 which left him at the summit of the leaderboard after two days of the Belmont Invitation.

POISED TO CHALLENGE -- Tom Waters pauses for thought during his second round of two-over-par 72 which left him just two shots off the lead at the tournament's half-way stage.