Golf: Money not on Clarke's mind

Darren Clarke, who has signed a deal that will earn him £2million for every Major he wins in the next 10 years, had no intention of letting money enter his mind at Augusta.

Joint 12th at halfway in the Masters after a brilliant second round 67, Clarke knew he could not afford to get ahead of himself for a moment when he teed off again.

Patience remained the key for Clarke as he looked to make up his five-stroke deficit on surprise leader Chris DiMarco.

"When you try to go looking for birdies that's when you end up making bogeys, double-bogeys or worse," said the 32-year-old Ulsterman.

He is delighted to be in the position he is only three weeks after his game looked in a desperate state.

He was almost last of those who missed the cut at the Bay Hill Invitational, but some sessions with Butch Harmon, the coach who also looks after Tiger Woods, and some vital hours spent with sports psychologist Bob Rotella have paid massive dividends.

"Bob changed my outlook," he said. "When I'm struggling I get all technical and try to hit the perfect shot all the time.

"But that's not realistic and that's what he has been drumming into me.

"It's been said by more learned people than me that patience is the key round here and the best piece of advice I've been given on my three previous trips is not to hit it in the wrong places.

"I've done it a few times already and paid the penalty, but I've managed to stay fairly relaxed and I'm hitting a lot of good shots."

Being in contention for a Major is not a totally alien situation for Clarke.

He led the 1997 Open at Troon by four after nine holes of the third round, but had only two European tour titles to his name then and had never appeared in the Ryder Cup. It told and Justin Leonard took the title.

He was a fine eighth on his Augusta debut the following year and in the last two majors of last season - both won by Woods, of course - he was seventh and ninth.

In the third round of the 1998 Masters he shot a 67 highlighted by eagles at the 13th and 15th, the second of them thanks to an outrageous putt from off the green of around 40 yards, and how he would love a repeat of that right now today or tomorrow - or both!

Fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington is also among the 47 players who survived the cut, improving six strokes on an opening 75 to make it through by one on level par.

But by some vastly different routes Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle and Nick Faldo all missed the cut.