Andy Sullivan maintained his fast start to the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship with a second successive 67 to set the early clubhouse target heading into the weekend.
Play was delayed by two hours and 45 minutes due to thick fog, but it didn't impede on Sullivan's good form.
He began his round with three successive birdies and ended it the same way. The Englishman is now 10-under par for the tournament, one shot clear of Bryson Dechambeau.
"I'm just trying to kick on. I don't want to be the guy that makes my career by winning three times in one season. I want to win as many tournaments as I can" Sullivan told Associated Press.
"I've used that momentum from last week and that was just a little taster of what the Ryder Cup would be like. That's going to be 10-fold. Last week gave me more desire to put my name in the mix.
"Darren knows what I can do so I don't think it was imperative (to play well here), but it bodes well when you do. It's good to do it face to face. Since I first got out on tour he's been a really good mentor to me and a good friend. It's just lucky he's the Ryder Cup captain."
Andy Sullivan watches the ball as fog descends on the practice range delaying the start of the second round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi. Image: Martin Dokoupil / AP/Press Association Images
Sullivan is currently fourth in the Ryder Cup qualifying race and Clarke joked he could not rely on one of his three wild cards.
"He is playing beautifully, really nicely," Clarke said, "He is 10 under but he could be 14 or 15 because he is playing great.
"He is a quality ball striker. There are lots of brilliant young kids out here but not many of them move the ball both ways and with different trajectory. He does it all and I love playing with people like that. He is a proper shot-maker.
"He is such a great kid as well, such fun to play with and I really enjoy his company. He has completely taken the p*** out of me for two days and I have told him if he keeps this up, a pick is out of the question!"
Rory McIlroy started his round with eight straight pars before a bogey on the ninth, his drive finished in rocks on the edge of a lake.
Jordan Spieth, meanwhile, bogeyed the fourth and fifth and sits on three under par.
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