SANDWICH (AFP) ? Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and American Lucas Glover grabbed a share of the clubhouse lead at the British Open here on Friday as overnight leader Tom Lewis 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 round 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 against 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 the Open at his 20th attempt would mean to him at this late stage of his career.
"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."
Overnight leader Thomas Bjorn meanwhile endured a shaky start, bogeying three of the opening four holes to drop to two under.
The Dane recovered well with two birdies however and had a share of the lead at four under through seven, along with English playing partner Simon Dyson, also four under after seven holes.
But after his opening day pyrotechnics when he shot a five-under-par 65, English amateur Lewis slipped down the pecking order after a four-over-par 74 which left him at one under.
Yet with the cut projected to come at around two-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.
Among those likely to miss the cut are English world No.2 Lee Westwood, who never got going on his way to a three-over-par 73 which left him four over.
Westwood's hopes of winning a first Major were effectively torpedoed on the front nine, where he racked up a double-bogey and three bogeys.
Last year's US Open champion Graeme McDowell is also heading for the exit after a shocking second round. Having started the day at two under, the Northern Irishman would have fancied his chances of making a charge.
But his hopes imploded with a seven-over-par 77 that featured a double-bogey and five bogeys.
"I' just can't string four rounds together at the minute, and this week I couldn't even string two together," a dejected McDowell said.
Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy, one over after the first round, teed off later Friday and had notched pars on the first two holes as he set about cutting into the five-shot deficit separating him from the lead.
Biggest cheer of the morning went to 61-year-old American legend Tom Watson who scored a hole-in-one at the par-three sixth hole with a four iron. Watson eventually shot a level par 70 to finish at two over after 36 holes.
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