Clarke in running against all the odds

GOLF: So, how do you credit Darren Clarke's arrival into contention in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club?

After all, here's a man who hadn't originally included the €3.4-million tournament in his schedule; a man who hadn't played golf competitively in almost a month so that he could spend more time with his ill wife, Heather, who is fighting an ongoing battle with cancer; a man who, on top of everything else, is suffering from a knee injury that yesterday had him hobbling around the course.

As incomprehensible as it may seem, given what he termed all of the "extenuating circumstances", the 35-year-old Tyrone man - demonstrating considerable fortitude - has manoeuvred his way into a challenging position and after a second-round 71, which left him on four-under-par 140, is just a shot adrift of the midway leaders, Thomas Bjorn and Jamie Donaldson.

It put him into a five-way tie for third along with Jonathan Lomas, Brett Rumford, Anders Hansen and Graeme Storm.

Yet Clarke, who won this tournament in 2001, refused to entertain any thoughts of winning.

"I've just got to keep on playing. To be honest, coming into this week, winning wasn't really in my thought process at all. And it's still not. I'll just go out and play and, if it happens, it happens," he said.

In other words, there's no chance of his mind racing ahead of him.

In a way, all of the mitigating circumstances have forced Clarke to be low-key in his own expectations.

And maybe that's a good thing. Yesterday, for instance, he hit 16 greens in regulation and, if the putter had been in a little more obedient (he had 33 putts in all), would have been even better-positioned.

Still, looking at the bigger picture, Clarke wasn't one for complaining as he sought out a patio chair to rest so he wouldn't put any further strain on the injured leg.

"You know, I'm pleased with where I am and with my score," said Clarke, whose last outing came in the BMW Championship at Wentworth, when he withdrew halfway through to be with Heather, who had been hospitalised.

"I didn't quite expect myself to be as much in contention as I am. I played better today (than in the first round), gave myself lots of chances, stayed very patient and burned the edges of the hole a lot."

Certainly, he is on familiar ground. Once upon a time, he was the touring professional for the K Club and, of course, he went around this Arnold Palmer layout in 60 strokes in 2000 before going on to win the title in 2001.

"I suppose it helps a little bit to be at a course where you know you can perform. But it's not really the same golf course, though. It's a much, much sterner test than it has ever been and you can't get away with much out there now," explained Clarke, who doesn't expect the knee injury to be a factor over the weekend.

Despite hobbling fairly badly when walking in between shots, he claimed he "didn't have a problem" when actually hitting the ball.

The injury to the front of his left patella is a legacy of one sustained at the British Masters in May.

For the past two nights he has had physiotherapy and applied ice packs, and the bottom line is that he has been able to not only play but also perform with considerable merit, as demonstrated in yesterday's round, when he hit 14 fairways and 16 greens.

On a day when Ryder Cup players Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey all missed the cut - which fell on four-over-par 148 - Clarke was one of four Irishmen to survive into the weekend.

He was joined by Damien McGrane (71 for 141), Gary Murphy (76 for 144) and Graeme McDowell (75 for 147).