Glover pulls level with leaders

American Lucas Glover today moved into a share of the lead as the early starters looked to take advantage of perfect conditions in the second round of the 140th Open Championship.

Glover’s round of 66 went largely unnoticed yesterday as Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn - who blew a three-shot lead with four to play the last time the Open was staged at Royal St George’s – and English amateur Tom Lewis grabbed the headlines.

But the 2009 US Open champion soon made it a three-way tie with Bjorn and Lewis at the top of the leaderboard this morning, a birdie from four feet on the second taking him to five under par.

Northern Ireland’s Darren Clarke was also looking to make a move through the field and, after missing a birdie chance from eight feet on the first, had holed from twice the distance on the third.

That took Clarke, second at Troon in 1997 and third at Lytham in 2001, to three under par, the 42-year-old clearly benefiting from a recent session with mind guru Dr Bob Rotella.

More than 30 players ended yesterday within four shots of the lead, with Rory McIlroy recovering from a poor start to card a one-over-par 71 alongside world number one Luke Donald and Lee Westwood.

McIlroy, 22, looking to become the youngest Open champion since 1893, was among the later starters, but his predecessor as US Open champion and compatriot Graeme McDowell was just getting his second round under way.

McDowell got off to a terrible start yesterday with a double-bogey six at the first, but battled back to post a two-under 68 and remain in contention for a second major title.

Clarke's hopes suffered a major blow on the fourth, where he missed the green with his approach, duffed a chip which ran back down to his feet and ran up a double-bogey six.