Golf: Clarke misses cut at Irish Open

Darren Clarke suffered a British Open hangover when he missed the cut of the Irish Open.

In his first start since his dream Open victory at Sandwich, 42-year-old Clarke dropped four shots in the last eight holes for a 74 and one-over aggregate.

"A weekend off is not what I wanted coming here. It will not do me any harm, but I'd much prefer to be playing," said Clarke, who partied long and hard after his Open win.

Padraig Harrington also missed the cut, leaving Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell to fill the void for the Irish crowds.

McIlroy grabbed three late birdies for a second round 68, while fellow Northern Irishman McDowell, the 22-year-old's predecessor as US Open champion, went two better to put both of them on four-under par at the halfway point.

Germany's Marcel Siem replaced India's Jeev Milkha Singh at the top of the leaderboard after a superb finish to his second round on Friday at Killarney.

Siem eagled the long 16th to join Singh and Denmark's Soren Hansen in first place and then birdied the next hole to move into sole possession of the lead.

Siem finished with his second successive round of 66 to be 10-under and one shot in front of Singh and Hansen and a further shot ahead of Spain's former Ryder Cup player Ignacio Garrido, who finished with three birdies for a 65.

Singh matched the lowest round of his career in the first round on Thursday with an eight-under par 63.

The 39-year-old son of a former Olympic sprinter hit an eagle and six birdies on Thursday, but found it harder to continue that inspired form 24 hours later and carded a one-under par round of 70.

Singh quickly set the tone for an erratic round as he bogeyed the first hole and the 418 yard fourth, but found enough composure to birdie the second, with a fine putt from eight feet, and also the seventh and the short tenth.

"It was a bit more of a struggle, so I'm happy with one-under," Singh said.

"I didn't drive it that well and my putting was not as good, but it was still good enough."

Meanwhile, England's Simon Wakefield came on strong late in his round and birdied the 16th and 17th to reach seven-under, which was enough to finish the day level in fifth place with Raphael Jacquelin of France.

Defending champion Ross Fisher and fellow Englishman Simon Dyson are among those on seven under and promising Irish amateur Paul Cutler stands six-under after a 67.

"It's more mental fatigue than physical fatigue. I was trying and couldn't get anything going - I couldn't buy a putt."

Three-time major winner Harrington had little hope after double-bogeying the short sixth and with a 72 crashed out on three-over.

That is now back-to-back missed cuts for the Dubliner before he heads back to America and, already down to 64th in the world, he is likely to fall even further now.

"It's tough when you miss the cut, but it's fine lines out here. It just wasn't my two days. Going double bogey, bogey knocked the stuffing out of me," Harrington said.

- AAP