Birdies at the last three holes for a second-round 67 in the Czech Open yesterday left Darren Clarke poised to take over the European number one spot this weekend. Clarke's 36 holes total of 136, six under par, put him within striking distance of the leading trio at Karlstein before a late afternoon storm washed out play.
The second round will be completed today and if the Ulsterman goes on to finish in the top seven he will wipe out the £23,000 sterling deficit by which he trails Volvo ranking leader Ian Woosnam.
The Welshman along with third-placed Colin Montgomerie, is resting prior to the US PGA Championship, so Clarke could arrive at Winged Foot as the new pacemaker in the money list.
The men he has to overhaul are Spaniards Ignacio Garrido and Miguel Angel Jimenez, and Sweden's Patrik Sjoland who shattered the course record by three shots with his career-best 61. Garrido, hot on the trail of a Ryder Cup debut, has a five-stroke lead at the halfway mark over Padraig Harrington who lies 11th, one place behind the Spaniard in the qualifying table. Harrington had a disappointing 68. He had six birdies, but missed a string of short-range putts, and was briefly in danger of missing the cut.
At long range Harrington was in impressive form, for he twice holed from 25 feet and his birdie up the double tier at the fourth was from fully 15 yards. His worst spell was from the 13th to the 15th as he carelessly missed from 12 inches at the par five, then three-putted from nowhere at the 15th.
Fortunately he pulled himself together over the closing holes, and birdies from five feet at the 16th and 17th, eased him away from the danger zone. Clarke had two birdie fours in his outward 34 from the 10th but was almost becalmed after driving into trees to bogey the fifth. Then he birdied the seventh.
Pitches to within 12 and three feet of the last two flags saw him add two more birdies.
Garrido had five successive birdies in the middle of his 65, and has now gathered 14 birdies in his 36 holes total of 131, 11under par. A top-three finish will secure a Ryder debut for the 25year-old from Madrid and Harrington will be at Valderrama as well if he can hang on to his slipstream. However there are still some dangerous rivals around as Jimenez proved by charging to a 64 to also land on the 11-under mark. The Malaga professional is 28th in the Ryder rankings but will have over 291,000 points if he wins this week's £133,330 top prize.
Paul McGinley and Raymond Burns both qualified through late birdie flurries, the Dubliner having five birdies in the space of seven holes to get out in 31, then getting the birdie at the 17th for a 67 that put him on the threeunder pass-mark.
Burns birdied two of the last three holes of his 67 for the same 139 total, but Philip Walton is among the 36 players who will have to return at 7.30 a.m. this morning to complete the second stage. He was three under with three holes remaining. Definitely out are Christy O'Connor Jnr despite a rallying 69 for 141, Des Smyth who shot 74 for 145, and David Higgins who had 72 for 142. Ronan Rafferty had 67 for 140, and there was still a chance late last night that the large group on two-under par, could still be required for the final two rounds. Eamonn Darcy retired after 24 holes.
In Thursday's preview of the Czech Open, it was stated incorrectly that Bernhard Langer would not be playing in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club in Straffan from August 21st-24th. Langer will be in action at the Kildare venue along with most of Europe's leading players.
