Barclays Scottish Open, Loch Lomond, 8-11 July
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Highlights - Scottish Open Golf day two

Phil Mickelson missed the cut at the Scottish Open, allowing Tiger Woods to remain as world number one.

Mickelson, chasing a top-two finish to overtake Woods, toiled in the rain and hit a quintuple bogey nine on 18 to end a shot outside the two-over cut mark.

First-round pacesetter Darren Clarke boosted his chances of claiming the last remaining place at next week's Open with a 67 that extended his lead.

Second-placed Edoardo Molinari trails Clarke's 10-under total by three shots.

After the showers had dissipated in the Highlands, Italian Molinari had signed for a two-under 69 to keep his hopes alive of making the European team for October's Ryder Cup at Wales's Celtic Manor.

Sweden's Peter Hedblom and Welshman Bradley Dredge were six under, tied for third, after both men also shot 69s.

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Francesco Molinari (69), the younger brother of Edoardo and another hopeful for Colin Montgomerie's European Ryder Cup team, was a further shot back.

Montgomerie was among a host of big names that included Mickelson, world number six Ernie Els and defending champion Martin Kaymer that missed out on a place in the final two rounds.

Scot Montgomerie hit his second successive 74 for a six-over total, South African Els could only manage a 76 that featured two double bogeys to bow out on three over, while Germany's Kaymer relinquished his title with a whimper after shooting a 74 to also miss out by one stroke.

It was Mickelson's exit, though, that raised eyebrows the most as Woods clung on to his mantle for at least another week.

Mickelson cut a forlorn figure on day two at Loch Lomond

The American world number two found the water twice on the 18th, his ninth, on his way to a 74 that would ultimately end his tournament.

He was determined to stay positive, though, and immediately turned his attention to the Open at St Andrews.

"I didn't play that badly, just a couple of poor swings and four penalty strokes," he said.

"I wanted to get four competitive rounds in before the Open, but the plus side is that I'll now get an extra couple of rounds (at St Andrews) on Saturday and Sunday."

Els, too, admitted his early departure could be a blessing in disguise.

"It's probably better for me to get out of here if I'm being completely honest," said the three-time major winner, who dropped six shots on the back nine.

"I will need to get up to St Andrews and work on it. It's not what I wanted to do, believe me, but I just kind of got fed up of fighting my swing all day long."

Northern Irishman Clarke, ranked only 179th in the world and down at 38th in the Ryder Cup points race, was thrilled with his effort during the downpour as he aims for an Open spot by being the highest top-five finisher who has not already qualified for St Andrews.

"It wasn't torrential heavy rain, it was just torrential rain," a rejuvenated Clarke quipped. "If you're from Ireland there's a difference, a massive difference.

"You have to take what the course gives you and try to grind out a score," added the Dungannon native, who sank five birdies and has recorded only one bogey - when he three-putted from just 20 feet at the short 11th on Friday - over the first 36 holes.

"Certainly I'm very pleased to have ground out four under - I thought anything around level par was going to be pretty good."

Even a victory on Sunday, however, would not lift Clarke - hero of Europe's 2006 win at The K Club - into an automatic qualifying position for the Ryder Cup.

US Open champion Graeme McDowell was level par after his second 71, while 1995 Open winner John Daly could not build on his first-round 67, slumping to a 73 to leave him eight off the pace.

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