Clarke increases lead at Scottish Open

Despite heavy rain conditions throughout the round, Clarke shot a 4-under-par 67 Friday and is at 10-under 132 after 36 holes.

He is three strokes ahead of Edoardo Molinari, who had a 69 in his second round. Bradley Dredge and Peter Hedblom, who also each shot 69 Friday, are tied for third at 6-under. Francesco Molinari, also with a second-round 69, is in fifth at 5-under.

Clarke, whose first-round lead was one stroke, had five birdies and one bogey Friday. He played the back nine first and three-putted from 20 feet on No. 11 for his only bogey of the first two days.

He answered with a birdie at the 12th hole and added another at No. 16. Clarke had three birdies in a four-hole span on the front side before finishing with five consecutive pars.

"You have to take what the course gives you and try to grind out a score." Clarke said. "Certainly I'm very pleased to have ground out 4-under. I thought anything around level par was going to be pretty good."

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