R2 LEADERBOARD SA unless stated -9 Titch Moore -7 Tjaart van der Walt, Hendrik Buhrmann -6 Bruce Vaughan (US), Andrew McLardy, Gregory Havret (Fra), Louis Oosthuizen Selected others -5 Graeme Storm (Eng) -4 Neil Cheetham (Eng) -1 David Howell (Eng) +2 Darren Clarke (NIr) +10 Simon Dyson (Eng) +14 Philip Walton (Ire)

The Northern Irishman salvaged a 74 for two over, 11 shots adrift of leader Titch Moore of South Africa.

Moore added a two-under 70 to his opening 65 to lead countrymen Hendrik Buhrmann and Tjaart Van der Walt by two shots in Durban.

"All I could think of was going home and how much I hate missing a cut. There's nothing worse," said Clarke.

Clarke, 36, was on his way out of this first tournament this year after a bogey and a double-bogey in his first three holes.

He picked up two shots before the turn but handed one straight back on the ninth.

A birdie at the 10th gave him hope but three dropped shots on the way home looked to have ended Clarke's chances before he drained a monster 30ft eagle putt on the 18th.

First-round co-leader Moore, 28, started shakily, dropping two shots in his first six holes before grabbing four birdies on the back nine.

"I was trying to hang in there because I wasn't playing that well," he said.

"I actually did well to make pars at the first two holes before I bogeyed the third but I knew there were always opportunities coming back down the final few holes.

"I was trying to get it back to even for the day and to be honest to be two under with a nice finish was really good.

"It was pretty frustrating because I couldn't seem to get myself into the game.

"The short game has been great all week but I just couldn't seem to get the ball into play."

Vaughan, level with Moore overnight, slipped back with a 73 to head a quartet on six-under.

England's former Walker Cup star Graeme Storm was the highest-placed Briton on five under.