Clarke makes a charge by the beach

Golf US and European ToursDarren Clarke kept his name in the top 10 on the leaderboard after an excellent second round of six-under-par 66 in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Golf Links, California, yesterday.

Starting the day eight shots behind the first-round leader Phil Mickelson, the Dungannon man fired his first birdie at the second hole and followed with two more at the sixth and seventh to reach the turn in 33.

Clarke kept the momentum going with his fourth birdie of the day at the 13th, and finished in style with birdies at the 17th and 18th for a halfway total of eight-under-par 136 for a share of second place among the early finishers.

Setting the clubhouse target was Andrew Magee who shot a second round of four-under-par 68 for a total of 135.

Mickelson, meanwhile, continued his blistering form on day two at Poppy Hills with a five-under-par first nine to open a five-shot lead over the field.

Birdies flowed freely from the US Masters champion as he continued his rich vein of form.

Starting at the 10th, Mickelson birdied the 12th, 13th, 15th, 17th and 18th in an outward half of 31.

Graeme McDowell, who had opened with a fine, four-under-par 68 at Spyglass Hill, had moved to six under for the tournament after nine holes of his second round.

Playing at Poppy Hills, McDowell, who started at the 10th, birdied the 12th and 13th, dropped a shot at the 16th, but birdied the par five 18th to be in a share of 14th.

Paul McGinley, playing in his first tournament of the season, was two under par after 11 holes of his second round at Spyglass Hill, having birdied the 14th and short 15th, and was five under for the tournament.

"I've never driven this well," said Mickelson after setting a first-round course record. "I knew through extensive testing it was a change for the better but because the season was over I didn't really play too many tournaments.

"To shoot 60 at Phoenix and 62 here, that's what I see paying off. I was able to drive it a lot longer than I ever have, have a lot of wedges in (to the flag) and because it's flying the right yardage, I'm able to make a lot more birdies."