Clarke's had his bellyful of putter

If Darren Clarke has learned anything from the past few days over the Smurfit Course at the K Club, it is that the belly putter, as much as others swear by it, is not for him. In fact, the 34-year-old Tyrone man - who at least survived the cut in the European Open - doesn't expect to see the implement back in his bag.

"I think it's had its last outing," he confessed.

In all, Clarke was forced to use the putter 32 times (which had him ranked 80th in putting) in a round of 72 that left him on four-over-par 148, a shot inside the cut, which saw 78 players - six of them Irish - surviving into the weekend.

Not that Clarke had felt too much optimism at the prospect, suggesting he "would not be in the slightest bit disappointed" if he hadn't made it.

He explained: "I'm struggling with my swing and you can't try and improve anything in these conditions.

"I'm just not having fun on the golf course and all I can do is keep working and keep hitting balls . . . I'm just making up the numbers (here)."

Clarke's frustration may have been understandable, but at least his ISM stablemate Paul McGinley felt that his 71 - for three-under-par 141, leaving him in tied-sixth going into the weekend - was "a great score".

"I've got to be happy because this is a tough course and you've just got to keep going. I love playing in the wind, it's a real test of golf, not a grind at all," he said.

McGinley, who had two birdies and just one bogey in his round, went as far as to suggest the greens on this course are "the best putting surfaces I've ever played on the European Tour. I'd give them 10 out of 10".

While McGinley heads the Irish challenge heading into the final 36 holes, with a great chance to improve his Ryder Cup standings, Peter Lawrie - who shot a second successive 72 for level-par 144 - was happy to make his first cut in the European Open and finally get the chance to make an impression.

"This is best I've played in a long time," confessed the Dubliner, who added: "I didn't miss a shot and had a level par, that's how tough it was. But it's all to play for over the weekend. If I can keep on battling away, having level par, level par, I'll be happy enough."

For much of his round, Padraig Harrington also entertained hopes of challenging over the final two rounds. However, a double bogey-bogey-bogey finish - for a 76, leaving him on 146 - left the world's number-eight-ranked player believing he was too far behind.

Ironically, he admitted, "I haven't hit it as well in a long, long time." However, Harrington believed he "got tired" coming up to the final stretch of holes.

"It was a battle. No matter how well you played, it was a battle . . . if you're not going to get the breaks, it is very hard. It was really about grinding and I put the finish down to a long day on the links, it was battering me."

For the second day running, Harrington put his drive on the 16th in the water, resulting in a double-bogey six. Then he three-putted the 17th for bogey and again put his drive on the 18th into the water.

After being forced to play his third off the tee, he found the green with his next shot and two-putted for a bogey six that left him believing he had too much ground to make up over the weekend.

"It's very hard to go forward in this weather and I'm a long, long way back," he admitted.