Clarke and Glover share halfway British Open lead

Veteran Northern Irishman Darren Clarke and American Lucas Glover hold a share of the lead after the second round of the British Open at the Royal St George's course, Sandwich.
The 42-year-old Clarke carded a second successive two-under-par 68, while Glover followed up his opening 66 with a level par 70, as the pair finished on 136 (-4), one stroke clear on a congested leaderboard which has every player left in the tournament within seven shots of the lead.
A group of four players are just behind the leaders, American Chad Campbell, Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez, joint overnight leader Thomas Bjorn of Denmark and world number three Martin Kaymer -- who is the new favorite to win the tournament.
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Another seven players, including in-form Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal and veteran Americans Davis Love and Tom Lehman, are a further stroke behind on two- under-par, while a further five players -- including former world number one Phil Mickelson and amateur Tom Lewis, the other joint overnight leader, lie another stroke behind.

On a day when many of the world's top players floundered in the blustery conditions, Clarke's compatriot and U.S. Open champion Rory McIlory remained in touch with a 69 leaving him on level-par 140.
And defending champion Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa is also still in touch, just six shots off the lead on two-over-par 142.
"It would have been nicer to be a couple better, but I'll take that going into the weekend," McIlroy told reporters.
"I'm very happy with my position and within striking distance of the leaders," he added.
However, the world's top two players -- Luke Donald and Lee Westwood -- will not be returning for the final two rounds after both players surprisingly missed the cut.
Top two Donald and Westwood miss cut at British Open
Clarke, who won the hearts of a nation in 2006 when he went unbeaten in Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the United States just six weeks after his wife died, has never won a major, although he finished runner-up to Justin Leonard in the 1997 British Open after also leading at halfway.

"Obviously this is only after two rounds -- there is an awful long way to go yet," Clarke, who has won 13 European titles, told the European Tour website.
"I believe the forecast for the weekend is very, very poor. I quite look forward to that, 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," added Clarke, who sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the last to earn his share of the lead.
Glover, 31, who comes into the tournament in good form having won the Werlls Fargo tournament in May, is looking to add the British Open title to his U.S. Open victory in 2009 -- his only major success.
But perhaps the biggest cheer of the day was reserved for 61-year-old five-time champion Tom Watson, who claimed a hole-in-one at the short sixth hole, a day after fellow-American Dustin Johnson achieved the feat.


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