Golf – Scottish Open:Darren Clarke, no stranger to playing well in bad weather, defied the dreich, miserable conditions at Loch Lomond to extend his overnight lead to three shots on day two of the Scottish Open.
The 41-year-old has a newfound spring in his step and sogging wet gear wasn’t going to halt his march as he fired a second round 67 to set the pace on 10 under 132. He leads by three from Italian Edoardo Molinari with Wales’ Bradley Dredge and Sweden's Peter Hedblom on six under and Molinari's brother, Francesco, a shot further back - the quartet all shot 69s.
“That was more satisfying than yesterday because it was tougher," said Clarke, who opened with a bogey free 65 yesterday.
“We were all surprised that there was no placing and the course was playing brutally long. It was one of those days where you’ve got to take what the course was giving you and grind out a score.
His round, from the 10th, didn't get off to the best of starts as he quickly dropped a shot at the short 11th after taking three putts. That said it would turn out be his only bogey of the day.
Birdies came at the 12th and 16th before he picked up three more on his inward nine. Clarke will have to keep his emotions in check over the weekend but said it is something he looks forward to.
“It’s two rounds now and I’ve consolidated my position. I’m going into the weekend probably a little bit nervous, but excited at the same time,” he added.
Clarke, winner of the JP McManus Pro-am at Adare Manor in Limerick earlier in the week, has given himself a great chance of qualifying for next week’s 150th British Open. To remain inside the top six and be the highest player not already exempt would win him his ticket to St Andrews.
Damien McGrane briefly joined Clarke in a share of the lead on five under but by the end of his round the Meath pro had to settle for a 72 to drop back to four under.
Shane Lowry dropped back to one under with his 73, while US Open champion Graeme McDowell carded a second successive 71 to remain level par.
Gareth Maybin (73) and Peter Lawrie (74) both scraped into the weekend on the cut mark of two over, but Michael Hoey (73) and Paul McGinley (74) were way off the pace on five and six over respectively.
They weren't the only ones to falter for a host of big names were on the wrong side of the cut mark on three over. Defending champion Martin Kaymer (74), 2000 and 2003 champion Ernie Els (76), Vijay Singh (73) and Phil Mickelson (74) all have extra time to hone their games before St Andrews.
Mickelson clumsily ran up a quintuple-bogey nine at the par four 18th, his ninth, where he blasted two balls into the water hazard down the left side. However the left-hander didn’t declare his third tee shot as a provisional and later learned his second ball was actually still in play but couldn't play it.
He rallied to come home in 34 and sank a 20 footer on his final hole but it still wasn't enough. It put paid to any chance of prising the world number one spot from Tiger Woods as he needed to finish second.
"I didn't play that badly, just a couple of poor swings and four penalty strokes," said Mickelson who heads to St Andrews for additional practice. "I wanted to get four competitive rounds in before the Open but the plus side is that I'll now get an extra couple of rounds (at St Andrews) on Saturday and Sunday.”