DARREN Clarke was much happier about his US Open prospects after a return to form on the Gut Kaden greens in Hamburg yesterday, where a second round 67 put him within three shots of halfway leader Frank Nobilo.

Clarke, who joins Philip Walton and the rest of Europe's leading Tour players at Oakland.

Hills, Michigan, in two weeks time, catapulted out of the pack to go into today's third round on a seven under par 137. Paul McGinley also qualified, but Walton made an early exit and now has only next week's title defence at the English Open to sharpen his game to American requirements.

Nobilo had 69 to maintain his one stroke advantage over the field with a 10 under par 134. South African Relief Goosen is his closest challenger with Colin Montgomerie (65) and Bernhard Langer (70) among the nine players sharing third place at eight under.

Clarke holed from 15 and 20 feet for birdies at the third and fourth. When he added another by hitting his sand iron to the eighth only five feet from the flag he was out in 33, and entertaining hopes of catching the leaders.

He was down from 12 feet at the 10th for another birdie three, and was set to end on a high note when he snapped up birdie fours at the 15th and 17th, the latter from another 20 foot putt. But he chose too tight a line with his drive to the dog leg 18th, and his four iron from the semi rough finished in a fluffy lie just off the green. He missed from eight feet for his only bogey. "It was only the second green I had missed in 36 holes," said Clarke, "and it was disappointing to finish like that. But it's good to be coming back to form with the US Open just around the corner.

McGinley will probably be staying at home resting that week, as unlike Clarke, he was out of luck on the greens, principally because he left his iron shots too far from the hole to entertain hopes of many birdies. The Dubliner did hole from ten feet at the eighth and 13th, but three putts at the 12th from 30 feet pegged him to a 71 for 139.

Walton, who shot 74, and Desk Smyth, who had 73, both finished on the two over par mark, four outside the qualifying limit. For the Malahide golfer the problems were the same as on the first day, his inability to hole birdie putts. He made only one, from eight feet at the 11th on the way to an outward 36, and when he three putted the long third for a bogey six his early exit was inevitable.

Smyth has now missed four successive cuts in five tournaments since he was third in the Madeira Island Open. He made two early birdies to go under par, but dropped shots at the ninth and tenth through poor drives and a double bogey six at the 12th cooked his goose. "I am in a slump," he said, "but I have worked my way out of them before, and no doubt I will again."

Milltown's Francis Howley missed by only one shot after a 71 for 143, but had earlier seemed safe when he holed from 40 feet to birdie the 18th and get out in 35, and followed with an eagle three at the third. But a double bogey at the short fifth put him on the borderline and he went over by misjudging his approach over the pond at the ninth.

Ronan Rafferty rarely looked comfortable in the presence of Seve Ballesteros who qualified with a second 70, and despite two homeward birdies took 73 for 145. Raymond Burns had a 79 that did not include a single birdie for a six over total of 150.