Irish trio have to cut losses

THE Irish trio of Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley have assumed the roles of also-rans at the halfway stage of the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Harrington couldn’t manage a single birdie in yesterday’s 76, which left him on eight over par, the likely cut-off mark for the weekend.

Darren Clarke produced one of the rounds of the day, an even par 70 that contained five birdies, but a disastrous start of double bogey, triple bogey on Thursday had effectively ruined his chances and he and Paul McGinley both finished on nine over par.