Clarke, Glover lead British Open after Day 2
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Lucas Glover of the United States took a one-shot second round lead at the British Open on Friday as a slew of star names were sent packing.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: July 16, 2011 09:45 AM IST
Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and Lucas Glover of the United States took a one-shot second round lead at the British Open on Friday as a slew of star names were sent packing.
Clarke carded a two-under-par 68 for the second day running to move to four under at the halfway stage, while 2009 US Open champion Glover shot a solid level par 70 for a 36-hole aggregate of 136.
Bright sunshine and a light breeze invited low scores on the Royal St George's layout, yet the benign conditions did not prevent several heavyweights including world number one Luke Donald from missing the cut.
Clarke's round was a roller-coaster with an eagle and five birdies offset by a double-bogey and three bogeys but the 42-year-old Ulsterman was bullish about his prospects heading into the weekend, where poor weather has been forecast.
"There's an awful long way to go yet, and I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor, which I quite look forward to," Clarke said.
A win for Clarke would be hugely popular for a player who had three top 10 finishes in the Open in a five-year spell from 1997, including a tie for second place at Troon in 1997 and a tie for third place at Royal Lytham in 2001.
Since then his fortunes have waxed and waned, and he will be forever remembered for his heroic performances in the 2006 Ryder Cup shortly after the death from cancer of his wife Heather.
But Clarke and Glover will be looking nervously over their shoulders at a large cluster of challengers who are within a few shots of the lead. Only seven strokes separate a congested field heading into the final two rounds.
The chasing pack includes Germany's US PGA champion and world No.3 Martin Kaymer, one of four players just a shot off the pace at three under.
Kaymer is joined by first round leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, cigar-chomping Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and America's Chad Campbell.
Bjorn, who had lit up the first round with a five-under-par 65, found the going tougher on Friday but did enough to stay in touch with a two-over-par 72.
"It wasn't the prettiest of days golf-wise, but I'll take where I stand in the championship right now," Bjorn said.
Seven players -- including US Masters champion Charl Schwartzel -- were two shots off the lead at two under while five players, including world No.6 Phil Mickelson, were grouped at one under.
Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy meanwhile remains in contention, bunched with 12 players in the clubhouse at level par, four off the lead.
The 22-year-old US Open champion, who had started the day one over, posted a one-under-par 69 after a round which included four birdies and three bogeys. "It would have been nicer to be a couple better, but I'll take that going into the weekend," McIlroy said. "I'm very happy with my position and within striking distance of the leaders."
English amateur Tom Lewis, who had led overnight after a record-breaking five-under-par round in the first round, meanwhile slipped down the board after a four-over-par 74 which left him at one under.
But with the cut coming at three-over, Lewis, 20, had done enough to guarantee his involvement over the weekend on a day when several high-profile British hopes fell by the wayside.
World No.1 Donald, world No.2 Lee Westwood and European Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter all missed the cut.
Donald's hopes of surviving through to the weekend took a nosedive after bogeys on the final four holes saw him card a 75, leaving him six over.
"Very disappointing not to be here for the weekend," Donald said.
"I believe in my ability but for whatever reason it's just not happened for the last two majors."
Westwood never got going on his way to a three-over-par 73 which left him four over while last year's US Open champion McDowell stumbled through a nightmare seven-over-par 77 that featured a double-bogey and five bogeys.
Poulter meanwhile hit the self-destruct button in the form of an eight-over-par 78 which left him seven over.
The biggest cheer of the morning went to 61-year-old American legend Tom Watson who scored a hole-in-one at the par-three sixth hole with a four iron. Watson eventually shot a level par 70 to finish at two over.