Anguished Clarke continues to suffer

Darren Clarke cut a despondent figure as he slipped out of Shinnecock Hills yesterday after shooting a second round of 74 for a seven over par total in the second round of the 104th US Open.

Clarke's failure typified a bitterly disappointing performance by the European contingent as a whole. His compatriot, the much fancied Padraig Harrington, ground out a 71 for four over and faces the starter over the week-end with little or no hope of breaking his duck where major championships are concerned.

With none of their fellow Euros troubling the leaderboard, all the pre-championship hype about how the Shinnecock links should suit them was made to sound just that.

Even last place going into the weekend would come as a welcome relief for the hapless Clarke whose dismal run of form continues. He also missed the cut in the Buick Classic last week and so has spent a fruitless fortnight in the States. Experts like Butch Harmon keep telling us how talented Darren is but quite frankly, all too often his results belie that belief. He himself wouldn't argue the point.

"I had no birdies and that says it all", he lamented after yesterday's latest flop. "It's like going to the dentist these days my golf is no fun. It's not just the putter, everything was poor, and 73, 74 is just about right. Why? I'm just playing poorly. My confidence, my game, everything. I'm having a bad run. I loved the golf course, it was fantastic but was just too tough for me. You know what I'm like, good and bad, and I'm having a bad period at the moment.

"I wasn't down on myself before we started, more like frustrated, because I've been working very hard, and nothing seems to be happening. I'll just keep going and hopefully one of these weeks I'll shoot some decent scores and get going again. I'm not hitting it close enough or giving myself enough chances. You expect to make a couple of birdies and I haven't done that. I had chances at the last couple of holes to get back to six which is what the cut is likely to be and I missed those as well."

Some of his shot making suggested there might be a little light at the end of the tunnel. When this was pointed out, he ruefully asked "for a torch to show that light. There's no reason for it". When I questioned how he could make that latter point stand up, he snapped: "There's not a reason for everything. I can't do anything more than I'm doing. I'm practising, I'm working hard, I'm hitting balls, I'm putting, it's not working."

And the depth of his despair was never more evident when I asked how despondent he was: "Pretty perturbed", came the reply. Not a whole lot more to be said, really, except to point out that he hit only 42.9% of the fairways over the two days, hit 44. 4% of the greens in regulation and used the putter 58 times.

Nor was Padraig Harrington jumping with joy at simply making the cut when all he will be really doing for the week-end is making up the numbers towards the rear of the field. Not a very happy state of affairs for the 7th ranked golfer in the world. Even though, in themselves, rounds of 73 and 71 around as difficult a course as Shinnecock are far from a disgrace, it's just a long way off what is required to win a major championship. He admitted to feeling "flat" before going out for the first round, a tough week at Westchester in the Buick Classic a very likely explanation for that.

"It's hard to believe I could tee it up in the US Open and not have that adrenalin and that fear that I normally have", he mused. "I'm disappointed not to be in the hunt, I'd have liked to be a couple under par going into the week-end."

So this was another chance of a first major gone out the window? "You say it like it's the end of the world, but yeah, you've got to think so. A lot of work to be done, a very, very long shot, so it's just a question of going out and playing my best golf over the weekend. The sense of disappointment is not huge at seeing another major pass by is not huge. You'd be a right fool going into a major and be disappointed at not winning because most of the time you will be disappointed. You have to race reality. You want to win, yes, but you can't expect anything and should not live your life hanging on those hopes. Majors are not easily won. They're tough - and I'm not even in contention.

Putts of six and ten feet dropped for birdies at his two opening holes yesterday and sent Harrington, who had completed his weather delayed first round in 73 less than a half hour earlier, off to the best possible start. Hopes of a real flier, however, were dispelled when he three putted the 12th (his 4th), when he failed to birdie the long 16th and dropped another by hitting a poor tee shot at the short 17th. On the way home, he shot eight pars and a bogey at the 6th where he missed badly from five feet.