Final flourish from McDowell

A NICE 15-footer for birdie on the 18th was the ideal finish to the second round of the Open Championship for Graeme McDowell.

It turned a moderate enough day into a reasonably satisfactory even par round of 72 for a three under par total of 141. The Portrush man has set himself up for a profitable weekend and one that should prove invaluable from an experience point of view. Darren Clarke, 70 for one under, and Paul McGinley, a stuttering 75 for one over, were the only other Irishmen to make the cut.

Clarke promised most before fading badly on the homeward run. McDowell was a lot steadier and apart from a double bogey at the 4th, which he described as "the stupidest hole I have ever seen", performed with remarkable consistency.