DARREN CLARKE is well placed at the halfway stage of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. A level par 72 in the second round leaves him in joint third place on 142, two shots behind the leader Lee Porter of the US. Paul McGinley added a 76 to his opening 80, and missed the cut by six shots.

Starting at the 10th, Clarke began poorly with successive bogies. But he got back a shot at the 14th where he pitched to six feet and holed for a birdie. The 27 year old from Dungannon then bogeyed the 15th and birdied the 16th for an inward half of 37. This was followed by another birdie at the first where he pitched stone, dead. Eight more pars resulted in an outward half of 35 and a level round of 72.

Clarke, runner up last year, is in confident mood: "After the first round I was four strokes behind - now it is only two. I am still very much in contention."

. Paul Goydos, seeking his first ever Tour victory, fired an eight under par 64 to take a one shot lead after two rounds of the five round, 51.3 million Bob Hope Classic at Rancho Mirage, California.

Goydos swept past overnight leaders Mark Brooks and Brian Kamm, who were both one shot back after 68s. John Adams and former British Open champion Mark Qalcavecchia were two strokes further behind on nine under 135.