Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke and American Lucas Glover took the clubhouse lead at the British Open on Friday as overnight front-runners Tom Lewis and Thomas Bjorn dropped off the pace.
Clarke carded a two-under-par 68 for the second day running to move to four under at the halfway stage, while 2009 US Open champion Glover shot a solid level par 70 for a 36-hole total of 136.
Bright sunshine and the gentlest of breezes made the demanding Royal St George’s links layout a far more attractive proposition on Friday, a day after powerful off-shore gusts had buffeted the course.
Clarke’s round was a roller-coaster with an eagle and five birdies offset by a double-bogey and three bogeys but the 42-year-old Ulsterman was bullish about his prospects heading into the weekend. “It would mean an awful lot, but obviously this is only after two rounds,” he replied when asked what a win in his 20th Open would mean to him.
“There’s an awful long way to go yet, and I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor, which I quite look forward to. “But the course is going to play very, very tough. If that’s the case, then the tournament is still wide open for an awful lot of players, and will be.” Cigar-chomping Miguel Angel Jimenez was threatening to join Glover and Clarke at the top of the leaderboard, one shot back after 16 holes. Overnight leader Bjorn meanwhile followed up his first round 65 with a two-over-par 72 which left him one off the lead at three under. “It wasn’t the prettiest of days golf-wise, but I’ll take where I stand in the championship right now,” Bjorn said.
“I managed to stay with it today, and the short game helped me a little bit at the end. But you need that sometimes.” Two other players, US PGA champion Martin Kaymer and American Chad Campbell were tied with Bjorn for fourth after carding 69 and 68 respectively, just ahead of four players grouped together on two under. Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy meanwhile was frustrated in his efforts to mount a sustained second day charge.
The 22-year-old US Open champion, who had started the day one over, looked to be getting into an ominous groove after back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh took him to one under.
Bogeys on the eighth and 10th checked his advance but the Northern Irishman sunk another birdie on 13 to drop to level par after 14 holes, four adrift of the lead. English amateur Lewis meanwhile slipped down the pecking order after a four-over-par 74 which left him at one under along with four other players.
Yet with the cut projected to come at three-over, Lewis, 20, has done enough to ensure his involvement over the weekend, which is more than can be said for some illustrious names facing elimination.
