Graeme McDowell followed up yesterday's 65 with a 67 at The London club today to take a clubhouse lead in the European Open on 12-under-par. But England's Ross Fisher, who yesterday shot a course record 63, regained the lead dispite a wobble on the back nine.

McDowell, who was two off Fisher overnight, enjoyed six birdies today, with one bogey on the 17th tarnishing his card.

Afterwards, the Ulsterman said he was relaxed throughout his round mixing wisecracks with playing partner Sergio Garcia, who also enjoyed an inspired round shooting seven birdies and an eagle for a 64 putting him four shots off the lead.

"There was a bit of banter going on. We had a really good time.

"Our two caddies are pretty much best friends too and the stories were flying round," McDowell said.

But he stressed the importance of maintaining his form for the remainder of the tournament.

"It is always difficult to follow up a good day at the office with another one.

"There are probably low numbers to be had this weekend and the scoring at the end of the week is going to be up there potentially at around 20-under so you've got to keep going."

Despite getting the big performance he needed ahead of the Open, Garcia spoke of his disappointment with his display on three successive holes.

"I had a really good round going and my second shot on four from the middle of the fairway with a nine-iron became plugged in a bunker and stopped my momentum."

That was where Garcia dropped his only shot before he fought back by rattling in a nine-foot eagle putt at the long eighth and birdying the ninth from 18 feet.

"Fortunately for me I had a great finish so that made up a little bit."

By the time McDowell was in the clubhouse, Fisher was one shot stroke off the pace after six holes. But a birdie on the par 5 eighth brought him level before he regained the outright lead.

But a bogey-birdie-bogey sequence on the 14th, 15th and 16th put him back alongside McDowell on 12 under before he closed out his round with another birdie putting him one shot ahead overnight.

The leaderboard has something of an Irish feel to it with Dubliner Paul McGinley, who needs to finish in the mix if he is to qualify for The Open, shooting a 68 to move to seven under, while teenager Rory McIlroy carded a 71 for six under.

Darren Clarke who needed a top-five finish here must look to next week's Scottish Open if he is to tackle Royal Birkdale after he was disqualified for marking his score card wrongly.

He mistakenly gave himself a a par four on the last when he actually bogeyed it. It made no difference he had already missed the cut.

His playing partner Padraig Harrington, who defends his Open title later this month, teetered on the edge of the projected cut before an eagle on 15 paved the way for him to finish on two under after two rounds.

Gary Murphy was a shot back leaving him just one shot above the projected level-par cut.

Peter Lawrie and Damien McGrane both went round the Kent course in par but finished well outside the cut after over-par rounds yesterday.