You've got to admire Clarke

GOLF: Golf can be a cynical, selfish profession. A putt missed means less money in one player's pocket, and more in another. It's simply the way of life on tour, a matter of survival with little room for sentiment.

In the case of Darren Clarke, however, there is a genuine respect among his peers for the manner in which he has managed to continually get into challenging positions in tournaments, despite the greater importance and obvious distraction of his wife's battle with cancer.

Yesterday, again, Clarke got into contention in a flagship tournament. In shooting a 68 for 137, seven-under, the Tyrone man reached the midway stage of the Smurfit Kappa European Open alone in third place, two shots adrift of leader Bradley Dredge.

Another Welshman, Stephen Dodd, in second place, was the meat in the sandwich.

On a day when a stiff wind blew across the Smurfit Course, Stephen Browne shot a best-of-the-day 67 to move to a share of eighth place at day's end.

But it was Clarke's endeavours that earned huge admiration from compatriot Padraig Harrington, who can't comprehend a situation where the northerner won't be a part of Europe's Ryder Cup team.

"You know, when he gets out on the golf course, it is some sort of release for him," remarked Harrington, who faced a similar situation last season when his father was in a fight with cancer. "Obviously when you're out there and you're playing golf, you are in your own little world and in some ways you can get away from what is happening off the golf course. When you're out there, you are professional and doing your thing and, in some ways, it is a bit of a release. He doesn't have the worries of outside life affecting him. It all comes home when he is off the golf course.

"When he's on the course, it is familiar territory for him and he's in a comfort zone. He is doing something he is able to handle and is good at. It was easier on the golf course doing your thing than to be off the golf course and to be talking and thinking about it. Golf is a good distraction for him."

Clarke, just as he did in the Irish Open last May, again led the Irish charge. Browne, who got in only after a late sponsor's invitation, shot a 67 for 140, four under, while Damien McGrane (72 for 141), Graeme McDowell (76 for 145), Harrington (75 for 145), David Higgins (72 for 146), Paul McGinley (71 for 146) and Englishman Simon Thornton, a teaching professional at Royal Co Down, with 70 for 146, all survived into the weekend. The biggest casualty was former US Open champion Michael Campbell, who missed the cut by a shot.

It was by no means plain sailing for Clarke, however. "I had to hang in there, to grind it out," said Clarke, who chipped in on his first hole, his 10th, for birdie. "I short-sided myself and I was dead, so that was a good break there. If it didn't go in, it would have finished 30 feet by the hole."

But such breaks are part of golf, just as bad breaks come your way too. Which is what happened on the 18th, where he laid up with his second shot only for the ball to roll a couple of inches into thick rough, leaving him with no option but to chip out onto the fairway on the way to a bogey six.

All-in-all, it was a good day's work for Clarke who admitted that, given the circumstances of his wife's illness, it was difficult to stay focused.

"Things are tough for me at the minute, but whenever I come out here I still want to play as well as I can," said Clarke, who has been undergoing some adjustments to his swing with Ewan Murray. "With all of the things going, there is no point in giving up on anything really. You are only really jockeying for position to get to Sunday."

With his eyes on this title, which he won in 2001, Clarke isn't looking as far ahead as the Ryder Cup in September. He is currently well out of an automatic place, lying 11th in the world points list (from where the top-five qualify) and 28th in the European points list.

"The Ryder Cup is not at the forefront of my thoughts. Yes, I would like to qualify. Yes, I would like to play my way on to the team with some good performances over the next couple of months. But I don't know if I am going to be playing in a couple of months time."

Harrington, for one, can't imagine a Ryder Cup at The K Club without Clarke. "I can't see him not being on the team. He is playing good enough golf and he'd be the first pick in my book. He is an automatic for me. But I see Darren playing his way in."

135 (- 9)

Bradley Dredge (Wal)65 70

136 (- 8)

Stephen Dodd (Wal)67 69

137 (- 7)

Darren Clarke (NIre)69 68

138 (- 6)

Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 70 68

Anthony Wall (Eng)70 68

Soren Kjeldsen (Den) 69 69