WORCESTERSHIRE'S John Bickerton and David Park of Hereford were facing a battle to beat the cut today in the Smurfit European Open at the K Club near Dublin.
Both players carded disappointing first round scores of seven over par 79 to lie in joint 133rd place -- 12 shots behind joiny overnight leaders Paul Broadhurst, Martin Lefeber and Nick O'Hern.
Darren Clarke, however, made a good start to repairing the damage of an opening 76.
Going into the second round the Ulsterman was nine adrift of the leaders, but he resumed with a birdie four and then picked up another stroke on the 376-yard 15th to improve to two over par.
Clarke still had eight strokes to make up, however.
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