Augusta Digest

Today's other news in brief

Hope for Clarke

Darren Clarke's pride decreed that he try on every single shot, and he did. Yet, after signing for a second-round 71, some 12 shots better than his effort on Thursday, there was to be no ticket to survival.

Despite his stout effort, he had missed the cut and the only consolation was that he could rejoin his two children on holidays in the Bahamas.

"I didn't come here to do that," he said of that horrible opening-round 83, which equalled his worse score in a major, in the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2000.

Still, of a round yesterday that saw him demonstrate his fighting qualities, Clarke remarked: "Strangely enough, I didn't play that bad yesterday . . . but I got a lot of chances today, and took many of them."

Indeed, he was three-under for his round until he picked up a first bogey on the 17th, and any chance he had of surviving the cut disappeared when he walked up to where his tee-shot on the 18th had finished and found it was in a divot. It resulted in another bogey, and his brave fight had proven to be in vain.

Clarke planned to rejoin his boys, Conor and Tyrone, on the island of Abacos for a week's holiday before starting into a five-week stretch on tour that will take him up to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth at the end of May. Far from a bleak future, his caddie, Billy Foster, observed that "very good effort will give Darren a lot of heart".

Howell plays smart

David Howell was in no mood to be kind to himself after his swing let him down on occasions, and yet he still contrived to be very much in contention.

"Beggars can't be choosers," said Howell, who reached the midway stage on 145, one-over, despite some errant shots off the tee. So unsure was he of his swing that he opted for a two-iron and a lay-up on the long 13th.

"If you're all guns blazing and in full control of your game, then you can have a go . . . but I'm not in that position. If I'm going to challenge for this, it is going to be as much through great course management and short game as it is hitting great shots."

Seve suffers

Sand wedge in hand, the ball having teetered on the lip of the tin cup on the 18th only to refuse to drop, Seve Ballesteros walked to the hole without the need for a putter and tapped in for his final shot at the Masters.

It was the 80th stroke of his second round and, for the second day running, the Spaniard had failed to get into the 70s. In the end, his total came to 166, 22-over, and those in charge of the giant scoreboard by the 18th green spared him the embarrassment of displaying his score to the public.

"I didn't come very well prepared, everything went wrong a hundred times," said Ballesteros, who still aims to play on the Champions Tour.

As always, he had back-up from compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal. "It's been tough on Seve, but it is nice to see him playing again. Hopefully he'll play good enough so that he can enjoy the game again," said Olazabal of his friend, who turns 50 on Monday.