Darren Clarke called a penalty stroke on himself in a second round of 74 which may yet be enough to ensure his US Open survival. With a halfway total of 147, his prospect of completing four rounds of the championship at the third attempt depends on the 10 shot rule.
"I was aiming to finish six over, but I couldn't manage to birdie either of the last two holes," said Clarke. The collapse of overnight leader Colin Montgomerie, however, appears to have saved him, barring some unforeseen development when second round play is completed this morning.
Pressure mounted on Clarke after a doublebogey six at the third hole pushed him out to five over par for the championship at that stage. Unknown to those around him, the ball moved on the green while he was addressing it with his putter. It was only a slight movement, but Clarke was honest enough to honour the rules.
From then on, it became a grim battle with the course which conceded precious little to him on the greens. "I don't seem to be able to handle the pace of American greens," he said, reflecting on missed cuts at Oakmont in 1994 and Oakland Hills last year.
Clarke went on: "I was always struggling to sink the crucial four to six footers which you must be getting at this level." But he may eventually be grateful for a 10 footer which found the target for a birdie on the 16th. That got him to seven under and at the mercy of the leaders.
Paul McGinley is definitely out, after a second round of 73 for 148. His fate was effectively sealed when he stood nine over par for the championship after 27 holes. Padraig Harrington's chance also disappeared on the outward journey in which he carded two sixes, one of them a doublebogey.
Ten over par for the championship at that stage, he went on to cover the next seven holes in one over par before being called in after the 16th, with darkness rapidly closing in. So, he will be among 45 players to complete their second round this morning, in his case the 17th and 18th. Pars there would give him a round of 76 for 151.
Nick Faldo, on 146, was among those Europeans who had reason to be grateful for Montgomerie's misfortune. "I've no confidence in my game," he said afterwards. "My little fade, my safety shot, just isn't there any more.
Faldo was especially disappointed at his failure to save par at the 18th, where he missed the green and didn't hit a nine iron chip close enough to a difficult flag. His only birdie in a round of 74 was at the eighth.
But there were admirable performances from JoseMaria Olazabal and Lee Westwood, both of whom shot successive rounds of 71 for 142 and certain survival. In fact it is the first time Olazabal has made a US Open cut since Hazeltine in 1991 when he went on to finish eighth behind Payne Stewart.
"I think level par will win here," he said. "I feel good about my chances, even if I don't have my usual game right now." He explained: "For a change, my driving is good but my putting is not great. Still, I'm happy with my score.
Westwood, making his debut in the event, looks set to follow his 24th place finish in the Masters with another fine performance in an American major. The 24 year old, who has three top three finishes on the European Tour this season, started back birdie, par, birdie to make sure of a weekend appearance.
And there was an outstanding comeback from Paul Broadhurst who followed a dispiriting 77 on Thursday with a sparkling 69. It contained four birdies, one of them at the opening hole and another at the 18th. "I'm delighted I might get through at the first at tempt," he said.
Definitely gone, however, is Ian Woosnam, whose chance of repairing the damage of an opening 76 had effectively disappeared when he took 39 for the outward journey yesterday. Indeed the Welshman had to wait until the long 15th to card his only birdie of the round.
As an interesting footnote to the European challenge, the least known of them is certain of survival. Edward Fryatt, born in England, based in Las Vegas and a competitor on the Asian circuit, carded a 73 for a total of 145.
