Golf: Clarke off to a flyer

Darren Clarke got off to another fast start in the second round of the German Masters in Cologne.

Clarke was four under par after just six holes of his first round on Thursday.

And after picking up another birdie on the 10th looked set to challenge the leaders.

The Ulsterman failed to birdie any of the two par fives on the back nine however and a bogey on the 14th left him disappointed with a 68, and in no mood to talk about his round afterwards.

His humour was quickly improved on today however as he picked up two early birdies to keep well in touch with the leaders.

Starting on the 10th, his opening drive missed the fairway and his approach came up short of the green but a deft chip to three feet saved his par.

The first birdie of the day came on the par three 11th from 18 feet and a superb approach to the next left him only three feet for another birdie.

That lifted the 33-year-old to six under, two shots off the lead held by Mansfield's Greg Owen.

Owen, joint leader overnight with Swede Henrik Nystrom after an opening 65, had also birdied the 11th to move to eight under par, while another Swede, Henrik Stenson, had joined Nystrom on seven under after two birdies in his first three holes.

Tournament co-promoter Bernhard Langer was also still going well, a birdie on the 12th taking him alongside Clarke on six under.