DARREN CLARKE survived an inexplicable mid-round collapse in the Lancome Trophy in Paris yesterday. The Ulsterman played the first four holes of his second round from the 10th in text-book fashion, making a birdie from 40 feet at the 13th to go four under par, and was, in his own words, "cruising". Then he squandered seven shots in the next six holes before halting the slide to return 74 and a one-over-par total of 141.

Such were the difficulties of a gusting, swirling wind, that Clarke starts today's third stage at St Nom la Breteche only six shots behind joint leaders Ian Woosnam and Jesper Parnevik, the Swede who is now campaigning on the US Tour.

Woosnam had 68 and Parnevik, who bogeyed the last, a 69 for a five under par 135, one ahead of Colin Montgomerie, Peter Baker, Ross Drummond, and the Italian World Cup golfer Silvio Grappasonni.

Another Italian, Costantino Rocca is on 137.

The Welshman, who briefly led the Volvo ranking when he scored his fourth victory of the season in the German Open in Stuttgart last month, now trails Montgomerie by almost £60,000. But Woosnam believes he is losing ground because the Scot has been enjoying the benefit of a succession of early starts in the first round on Thursdays.

"He always seems to play early and I always seem to play late," Woosnam declared.

Tournament director David Probyn said: "It is pure coincidence and there is certainly no European Tour plot. There are key groups of players for television purposes, but if anyone thinks they are getting a lot of late or early starts and wants a change we will look at it sympathetically. That applies to Ian or anyone else." Montgomerie laughed off Woosnam's complaint. "He is worried if he is asking questions like that," he grinned.

Woosnam's other problem is his aching back, due to spondylolysis, which he described as degeneration of the vertebrae due to the wear and tear of tournament golf.

Clarke detailed the series of adventures which saw him take 40 for his outward half and birdie the first inward hole, saying: "Nothing I tried would work. It was spinning out of control and although I kept telling myself to grind it out, I just had to take it on the chin." His downhill dash from title contender to also-ran was halted when he birdied the short third (his 12th) from six feet, and got down from 12 feet at the fifth (his l4th) for a birdie three. Four pars got him home in 34, and in the circumstances a 74 was a reasonable return.

Only two other Irish golfers survived the cut which fell at five over par. They were Padraig Harrington, who had a mid-round stumble in his 74 for 142, and Ronan Rafferty whose 75 put him on 145.

"The putts did not go in like they did on the first day," Harrington said ruefully. "Hopefully they will start dropping again at the weekend." They did not drop at all for Paul McGinley who had only two birdies in his two rounds of 72 and 74 to miss out by one shot.

Phillip Walton (72) and David Higgins (75) also failed by one stroke but Des Smyth (75-150) and Raymond Burns (79-152) both failed to find the necessary spark to give themselves the chance of survival.