Darren Clarke was unlucky not to make the cut in Austria

Ulsterman Clarke failed to make it by one shot, a bogey on the last during a passing squall giving him a one-under-par 70, one over overall.

Montgomerie carded a 74 at the Fontana course and was well down the field on five over.

Portrush player Graeme McDowell is two under after a 69, nine shots behind leader Richard Green of Australia.

Clarke stood on the 18th fairway needing just a par five to make his first halfway cut since early February.

But the Dungannon man was amazingly caught up in the squall, which turned his approach shot from straightforward to treacherous, and he duly found the water which guards the front of the green.

"I played lovely all day, as good as I have in about a year," said Clarke, who has now missed six cuts in a row and will miss next week's US Open after failing to get through Monday's 36-hole qualifier at Walton Heath.

I can't make a score and I'm getting used to it Colin Montgomerie

He added: "I had a bit of a cold putter. I gave myself a lot of really good chances but couldn't quite make them and I'm a bit disappointed to say the least to make six at the last."

While Clarke will not be at Oakmont - he had only missed two of the previous 33 majors - Montgomerie will head across the Atlantic on the longest winless streak of his career.

The Scot, whose last win came in December 2006 in Hong Kong, could only add a 74 to his opening 73 on a course considerably easier than next week, not the sort of preparation the 43-year-old had in mind.

Second at Winged Foot last year after taking a double bogey on the 72nd hole to lose by one, Montgomerie had been looking for a good performance before returning to Oakmont, where he lost a play-off to Ernie Els in 1994.

Instead he made an early exit after a round of three birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys, pausing only to say: "I'm hitting the fairways but nothing is happening.

"I can't make a score and I'm getting used to it."