NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - Activist hedge fund Elliott

Investment Management has won enough support from Phillips 66

shareholders to secure two board seats on the U.S. oil

refiner's board of directors in one of the country's biggest

corporate fights this year, two people familiar with the

preliminary vote said on Wednesday.

Elliott is pressing Phillips 66 to sell some assets to

become a pure-play refiner, improve performance at its refining

business and improve corporate governance. It sought to add four

newcomers to the board this year.

Preliminary voting data show that Phillips 66 managed to

partially fend off Elliott's push, however, with each side

winning two of the four seats that were up for election.

The results also show that Elliott received no support from

any of the large index funds that often control such corporate

votes, according to two sources. But it did receive 40% support

from Phillips' employee pension fund, one of the sources said.

This is the first time ever that Elliott, one of the world's

busiest activist investors, has seen one of its campaigns go to

a vote.