Darren Clarke made a superb job today of trying to treat the Masters as a holiday rather than the tournament that could take his career to a new level.

While Colin Montgomerie missed the halfway cut for the fifth event running, Clarke added a two-under 70 to his opening 72 and, like stablemate David Howell, goes into the weekend in joint fifth place.

After a brilliant 67, American Chad Campbell leads at six under by three from first round leader Vijay Singh - his 74 contained three double bogeys in the blustery conditions  - Rocco Mediate and also Fred Couples, at 46 trying to take over from Jack Nicklaus as the oldest-ever winner of the title.

Alongside Clarke and Howell, who finished 11th on his debut last year and has taken to Augusta like a duck to water, are Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Tim Clark, while Padraig Harrington and Tiger Woods are only one further back in a tie for 10th. As is 54-year-old Ben Crenshaw remarkably.

Clarke, whose wife Heather has been battling the return of cancer for the past 18 months, birdied the down wind 465-yard last despite his drive finishing in a divot hole.

The Tyroneman also refused to let a visit to Rae's Creek on the 13th upset his freewheeling mood.

"I am very comfortable and relaxed out there and just taking whatever the course gives me," commented Clarke, who led by three after an opening 66 three years ago, but then fell away and has still to win a major title.

"I have forgotten what I should be doing and just gone out and hit it. It's working. It's probably the most relaxed I have ever been in a major. I want to keep the holiday feeling for the weekend at least."

He was in the Bahamas with his wife last week and added: "Sometimes when you get completely away from the game and hardly touch the clubs it brings back what is really important.

"And golf ain't that important. I am not bothered about anything. If I make a mistake I make a mistake — and I made a few today. There are a lot of people want to win this a lot more than I do. I would love to do it myself, but it's not that important."

Clarke, whose opening round contained a holed bunker shot for an eagle three at the second, 16 pars and a double bogey on the short 12th, birdied the eighth and ninth on his return to turn in 35.

Then came eight pars in a row — he salvaged a five on the 13th after his trip to the water — and then at the last hit a nine-iron from the divot hole that spun off a slope down to within three feet of the flag.

Howell also finished with a birdie for a second successive 71, but said: "I didn't play great and I am delighted with one under. The swing changes I made messed up my iron play. Sod's law there, but I just kept battling."