DARREN CLARKE and Padraig Harrington are ideally placed to launch out for an Italian Open victory this weekend, after strong performances at the Garda golf club near Brescia yesterday. Clarke had a second round 69 to lie just two shots behind leader Eduardo Romero on a five under par 139, while Harrington is on his heels after a second 70.

The Argentinian, who was penalised two shots for grounding his putter on the line of his putt on the first day, also shot 69 to edge one clear of Swede Patrik Sjoland, veteran Yorkshireman, Gordon J Brand, and young Londoner Brian Davis.

Among those alongside Clarke is JoseMaria Olazabal, who continued his remarkable comeback with four more birdies in a 71 that makes him 53 under par for the 18 rounds he has played in Europe since he returned from injury in Dubai.

Clarke would have shared second place but for an untidy bogey at the last on top of birdies at the two previous holes. He under clubbed with his uphill pitch into a green side bunker and found himself plugged under the lip of the hazard.

Playing rival Raymond Russell was only a few feet away in the same trap, and holed his recovery from 25 feet for a birdie three. But the Ulsterman had no option but to smash at his ball to get it out, and it slithered across the green, from where he got down in two putts, but only after holing a second one of eight feet.

At the 16th, Clarke had hit a two iron to the heart of the par five, and followed by striking a five iron at the short 17th to within 12 feet of the flag to add to the birdie fours he had made at the third and fifth.

"It was very disappointing to finish like that, but I am in a good position for the weekend," he said.

So closely bunched is the field - the 68 qualifiers on level par or better are covered by only seven shots - that Harrington was in danger of missing the cut after a shaky start. He had to get up and down from a bunker at the first to save par, and failed to do so when he over clubbed to the short second, and missed a 12 inch putt to take six at the third.

But he fought back to beat the long sixth, and almost sank his four iron tee shot at the short ninth where a car is on offer for an ace, to be out in 36. Then he finished strongly with a birdie four at the 16th and an eight iron to within six feet of the final flag.

Philip Walton and Raymond Burns both alighted on a three under par total of 141, the former with a 70 that included a double bogey at the short second where he hit into the lake.

The Malahide professional had got out in 34 from the 10th with the aid of birdie putts from 12 and 15 feet at the 11th and 12th, before his costly mistake. But he recovered strongly, getting home in two at the long third, then sinking eightfoot putts for birdies at the fifth and sixth.

Walton marred his good work by coming up short of the uphill short ninth with his five iron, then chipping weakly from a fluffy lie. "It was like an egg in a nest," he said ruefully.

Eamonn Darcy, who was his partner, could not better his first day effort of 73, and departed with a two over par 146. Darcy was four over for the event after 10 holes, but then made a brave bid for survival by grabbing an eagle and two birdies in successive holes.

Putts of 12, six, and eight feet got him back to level par, but the former Ryder Cup player then finished weakly. He drove into the hazard at the eighth, and found sand with his tee shot at the ninth, both of which he bogeyed.

Walton, who had a close up view of Darcy's work on the greens, said "I think putting is all about attitude. If you believe you can hole them, you will. Eamonn doesn't seem to have confidence, and he is very hard on himself when he makes a mistake."

So is Burns, who had four birdies in his 71, but was again prone to errors with his approach play. David Higgins also made mistakes at critical moments, missing the greens at two of the last three holes when pars would have kept him at three below the card. The Waterville youngster's best stretch was from the fifth to the seventh, where he had two birdies from five feet to be out in 35, going on to a 72 for 143 and a place in the weekend lineup.

Christy O'Connor Jnr, playing only his fourth tournament in 11 months, had five birdies in a well constructed 71.