McGrane joins Clarke on top

Ireland's Darren Clarke was joined on the top of the leaderboard by compatriot Damien McGrane as the Scottish Open resumed this morning at a wet Loch Lomond.

Clarke, overnight leader on six under, was caught by McGrane after he three-putted the short 11th for his first bogey of the tournament.

A shot behind the Irish pair were five others; Swedes Peter Hedblom and Johan Edfors, Dane Anders Hansen, England’s Graeme Storm and Italian Edoardo Molinari.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson, who needs a top-two finish to unseat Tiger Woods as world number one, resumed level par like new US Open champion Graeme McDowell, but bogeyed the 415-yard 12th.

John Daly, so full of hope teeing off again, lost a ball with his opening shot of the second round in the Barclays Scottish Open at a wet Loch Lomond today.

An opening four-under-par 67 had left the 1995 Open champion only two behind Darren Clarke and, facing as he does a tax demand of nearly $1m (€790,0000), the first prize of £500,000 (€600,000) was a huge spur.

But Daly’s drive carved right into the trees and could not be found in the permitted five minutes.

In his wilder youth the American might have lost his head at that point, but now 44 – and down from 22 to 14 stones following gastric band surgery last year - he is much milder and he made a superb birdie with his second ball.

A bogey five went down on his card, but he knew it could have been much worse.

Playing partner Francesco Molinari, who had been tied for the lead with his older brother Edoardo until two closing bogeys yesterday, also lost his ball and a double-bogey six meant he dropped to one under.