Darren Clarke birdied the last to complete a competitive two-under-par 70 at Augusta on Thursday. The 35-year-old Ulsterman, who held the early lead at the 2003 Masters, is three shots behind leader Justin Rose.
Clarke, who wore an extravagant pair of trousers, carded four birdies and two bogeys in an eventful round.
Padraig Harrington, Europe's top-ranked player, will be less happy with his day's work after the he finished with a two-over-par 74.
The 32-year-old Irishman is battling to become the first man to win Augusta's traditional Par-Three Contest, which is played on Wednesday, and the main event in the same year.
Clarke, however, has no such worries and said: "I played very nicely all day. I made very few mistakes and played away from nearly all the flagsticks.
"My putter was cold (he twice three-putted) but I'm very pleased with the way I hit it. For me it was a very sensible round of golf."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
