Monty talks up 'exceptional' Clarke

Colin Montgomerie lavished praise on Darren Clarke’s “phenomenal” putting today as the Ulsterman moved into the thick of things in the Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

Montgomerie, marking Clarke’s card, reckoned there were just 22 putts in a 65 for a 10-under-par halfway total of 132. He was alongside Scot Alastair Forsyth, who had nine birdies himself in a 64, but one behind Dutchman Maarten Lafeber.