Calm Clarke on the way to healing Open wound

THIS time last week, Darren Clarke was coming to terms with the lowest point of his career. Now he’s just two shots off the halfway lead at the Senior Open at Royal Lytham. Talk about a neat summary of the rollercoaster career of the tempestuous Northern Irishman (below). It was the same when he won the Open in 2011 at Royal St George’s. He got to the Kent coast that week in despair at his game. Clarke’s devastation last week stemmed from a triple bogey seven on the 18th that saw him miss the halfway cut by two strokes in his home Open at Royal Portrush. He also dropped a shot on the 18th this time but still finished with a second successive 68 — some going on this links. Team Clarke wondered how on earth their man would revive his spirits for this event. In fact, they’re reporting he’s in an eerily calm mood — as he showed in the way he recovered from two early dropped shots to post a round with five birdies. Now he has the chance to complete an extraordinary double for Irish golf, following Shane Lowry’s Open triumph last Sunday. American Wes Short Jnr is the halfway leader, with ageless Bernhard Langer — 62 next month — just four behind, alongside Colin Montgomerie, Welshman Phillip Price and Englishman Paul Broadhurst, who won this title in 2016. Playing alongside Clarke was Tom Watson, who came up with a moment of magic on the 18th. One month shy of his 70th birthday, the five-time Open champion needed to get up and down from 170 yards to make the cut. He struck his approach to four feet and holed the putt.