Titch Moore holds on to halfway lead

Ulsterman Darren Clarke, the highest ranked player in the field, sank a 30-foot eagle putt at the last to avoid the cut at the South African Open on Friday.

The world number 14's eagle gave him a second round of 74 to put him two-over, the projected cut, at the halfway mark.

"Oh no, two more days of torture," Clarke quipped after his round. "This is a great golf course but it's just not suited to my game.

"I wasn't even thinking about the putt, all I could think about was going home and how much I hate missing a cut."

Defending champion Trevor Immelman found himself eight shots off the lead after shooting 73 to drop to one-under for the tournament.

Local player Titch Moore shot a second round 70 to lead, with fellow South Africans Hendrik Buhrmann and Tjaart van der Walt two shots behind after shooting 67 and 71 respectively at the par-72 Durban Country Club.

A group of four players, including Frenchman Gregory Havret, were a further shot back.

The big hitting 28-year-old Moore did not have it all his own way though as he struggled to an outward nine of two-over 38 before finding the form that took him to 65 in the first round by coming home in 32 shots.

"I was just trying to hang in there because I wasn't playing that well," Moore said.

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