ZANDVOORT, Netherlands -- Ryder Cup contender Darren Clarke shot a 4-under 66 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Henrik Stenson at the KLM Open on the European Tour.

Clarke, who shared the second-round lead with England's Robert Rock and Sweden's Alexander Noren, had birdies at Nos. 4, 6 and 7 before a bogey at No. 8.

But Clarke was back in contention after birdies on Nos. 12-13 got him to 12-under 198 and boosted his bid to get a Ryder Cup wild card on Nick Faldo's European team.

"I came here to try to show Nick I have a bit of game, and if I play well I have a great chance," Clarke said.

The KLM Open is one of the last chances -- along with next weekend's Johnnie Walker Championship in Scotland -- for players to try to earn a Ryder Cup spot.

"I can still play better," Clarke said. "This week has been good in that I have hit a lot of good shots and made a lot of chances.

"I had lots of chances and hit a lot of really good shots, and a couple of poor ones, probably due to a lack of concentration," said Clarke. "I'm playing with one of the great players in the world in Henrik again tomorrow, so it should be great. I knew I was playing OK and I've really enjoyed the course."

Sweden's Stenson shot a 68, while Englishman John Bickerton's 66 put him third, four strokes behind Clarke.

Noren was tied for sixth after a bogey at No. 8, but had three birdies in the first five holes on the back nine to finish with a 72.

But while Clarke was smiling, Justin Rose was furious with himself after falling into the pack.

Eighth in the points race, Rose flew from America to try to clinch a Ryder Cup debut and hoped he might be able to head straight back across the Atlantic for the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs.

Now, however, he might have to stay for the final European qualifying event, and after three-putting from inside 15 feet on the last green at Kennemer Golf & Country Club, his anger boiled over.

"That was pathetic, just pathetic. A load of old rubbish," said the world No. 12, with a few expletives thrown in for good measure.

A 1-over-par round of 71 left Rose down in 24th place on 3 under. The two players immediately below him on the Ryder Cup points table, Oliver Wilson and Soren Hansen, are 5 under and 6 under.

Clarke had moved into a share of the halfway lead with a second round of 64 and more birdies on the fourth, sixth and seventh holes today swept him clear.

The inspiration of Europe's 2006 Ryder Cup victory -- Clarke claimed three wins out of three just six weeks after his wife Heather died of breast cancer -- did bogey the difficult eighth and saw the gap closed from three to one, but he responded by picking up more strokes on the 12th and 13th.

Stenson, already certain of his Ryder Cup place after finishing third in the British Open and fourth at the PGA Championship, had a 68.

Rose will earn his first Ryder Cup cap unless three players go past him in the last two weeks, and while Wilson and Hansen could easily do that on Sunday -- they lie 12th and sixth in the tournament -- German Martin Kaymer in 11th spot is down on 2 over after a 74 that contained three double bogeys, and 13th-placed Ross Fisher, this week's defending champion, is 1 under.

It has helped Rose's cause too that his great friend Ian Poulter missed the cut in America at The Barclays on Friday.

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