Practice provides improvement for Clarke
Darren Clarke’s dedication looked like paying dividends in the second round of the rain-shortened Bank Austria Open in Vienna today.
Despite being caught in a torrential downpour on the 18th hole for the second year in succession at Fontana Golf Club, Clarke headed straight to the driving range after a disappointing opening 70, one-under-par.
The Ulsterman had fired three birdies and an eagle on the par-five 15th but also threw in four bogeys to lie six shots off the lead shared by six players.
And with the £1.1mn event reduced to 54 holes after Thursday’s total wash-out, Clarke knew he had less time than usual to make up the lost ground.
The Ryder Cup star was among the early starters today and, after starting from the 10th, quickly picked up birdies on the 12th and 13th to improve to three-under.
However, that was not good enough to close the gap at the top of the leaderboard as two of the overnight leaders, Ireland’s Gary Murphy and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, both carded three birdies to reach 10-under-par.
Murphy birdied the third, fourth and ninth to be out in 32 while Singh, playing alongside Clarke, picked up shots on the 12th, 14th and 15th.
