16 July,2011 07:53 AM IST | | PA Sport
Thomas Bjorn was more than happy with his position in the 140th Open Championship, despite faring seven shots worse than Thursday.
Thomas Bjorn
Bjorn was joint leader overnight after an opening 65 at Royal St George's, but with his nearest rivals failing to take advantage of benign conditions on Friday morning, a second round of 72 still kept the Dane firmly in contention.
"I got off to a bad start, all of a sudden had three bogeys in a row and it became a battle from there," said the 40-year-old, who blew a three-shot lead with four to play when the Open was last staged here in 2003.
"But I managed to stay with it today and the short game helped me a little bit at the end. It wasn't the prettiest of days golf-wise, but I'll take where I stand in the championship right now.
"It's a great position. I just walked off the golf course with Gary Woodland there on three over par and he's still got a chance of winning the championship. He's probably going to make it (the cut) just on the mark.
"Everybody that's there for this weekend can win it, and that's what we're looking ahead to. Unlike often when you're in contention in a championship where it may be between six, seven, eight of you, now it's between the whole field."
That whole field is likely to be faced with bad weather over the weekend.u00a0Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke and American Lucas Glover took the clubhouse lead yesterday. Clarke carded a two-under-par 68 for the second day running to move to four under at the halfway stage, while 2009 US Open champion Glover shot a solid level par 70 for a 36-hole total of 136.
