Clarke leads after stunning 60

Darren Clarke came agonisingly close to creating a remarkable piece of history in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin.

The 30-year-old from Dungannon approached the last two holes of his second round needing to birdie one of them to record the first ever 59 on the European Tour.

But both of his birdie putts slipped tantalisingly past the hole leaving him with a round of 60, 12 under par, becoming only the third player in the tour's history to fire a 60 on a par 72 course.

He also matched tour records for the most consecutive birdies with eight in a row from the 18th to the seventh, having started on the 10th, and the most number of birdies in a round with 12.

And, almost forgotten in all the excitement, Clarke found himself two shots clear at the head of the field on 11 under, with Japan's Katsuyoshi Tomori his nearest challenger.

``I was giving myself opportunities and taking them all,'' Clarke said. ``I was hardly outside 10 feet for most of the front nine.

``I had a great chance to break 60 and I don't know how that putt on the eighth stayed out.

``Is there a feeling of disappointment? Very much so. Opportunities to break 60 don't come along too often and very few people have done it.

"That was a fantastic opportunity and it would have meant an awful lot to it here at home. It's as good as I've ever played and I couldn't see those last two birdie putts missing.

``I wasn't nervous, more excited. I felt great, very comfortable with the situation. I was enjoying it and looking forward to hitting the next shot.

``Sometimes it just happens, things just happen and everything feels good. I was in my own little world, trying to be as focused as I could on every shot.

``I realised a 59 was on midway round the front nine. When I made that birdie on the seventh my caddie Billy (Foster) said there were two more birdies out there.''

The low scoring was clearly infectious and Clarke's lead at the head of the field looked under threat from European number one Colin Montgomerie.

The Scot rattled in a few birdies of his own on the front nine, rolling in putts on the second, fifth, seventh and eighth to get to nine under and a share of second place just two adrift of Clarke.

Open champion Paul Lawrie was one over for his first nine holes while Jean Van de Velde, runner-up at Carnoustie, had picked up one shot to get to threeunder.

Spanish star Sergio Garcia had earlier put his Open traumas behind him with a second round 69 while, almost unnoticed in the excitement surrounding Clarke's round, stablemate Lee Westwood had posted a 67 to finish eight under par.

Ian Woosnam added a 72 to his opening 67, Nick Faldo had to settle for a 73 while Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson, winner here in 1996 and 1997, carded a 66.

Montgomerie's progress was halted by a bogey at the 10th and after adding four straight pars he was left needing a sparkling finish to catch Clarke.

Lawrie steadied the ship after consecutive dropped shots with a birdie on the par five 13th to get back to five under.

Montgomerie could only finish with a 71, much to his obvious annoyance, the majority of the damage being caused by a visit to the water on the 15th that cost him a double bogey six.

His six under total of 138 left him five shots adrift of Clarke and one behind Lawrie who was showing no signs of feeling the strains of his Open exertions, the Scot also compiling a second round 71.