Ireland’s Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington made little impression on the leaderboard after the second day’s play at the Sun City Challenge in South Africa today.
Clarke was languishing at the foot of the leaderboard after yesterday’s three over par round of 75 and despite a much improved round today, the World Number 11 still finds himself bottom.
Clarke started brightly, birdieing the second and third before stumbling to bogey at the sixth. He then double bogeyed the troublesome eighth and bogeyed the par five ninth.
But the back nine would prove more favourable for Clarke. Casting those bogeys aside, he progressed to birdie 10 and 13 before registering a magnificent eagle three at 14. Clarke maintained that form and birdied 15 and 18 to complete a smart round of 68.
Harrington, whose five birdies yesterday were blighted by a disastrous triple bogey seven at the eighth, found his form momentarily this morning.
He birdied the second in fine style but that was soon wiped out as he, once again, came undone at the tricky eighth when registering a bogey five.
The Dubliner then bogeyed the par three 12th before recovering with birdies at 14 and 15. A bogey at the last saw the World Number 10 slump to two under par for the tournament, nine shots behind leader Ernie Els.
Home favourite Els, who is vying to win the title for an unprecedented third successive year, enjoyed a tremendous afternoon tussle with England’s Lee Westwood at the top of the 12-strong leaderboard.
The South African, who led overnight with a first round total of 67, was six under par for his round today and 11 under for the tournament after birdies at the second, fourth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th and 14th.
Els dropped his only shot of the round at the 15th, allowing Westwood, who recorded a magnificent seven under par round of 65, to sneak within one shot at the halfway stage.