Barnes sets the mark as Harrington misses US Open cut

PGA Tour rookie Ricky Barnes posted the target to shoot for at the rain-hit US Open halfway mark as the rain returned to Bethpage Black and Tiger Woods headed the right side of the projected cut line.

Barnes, the 2002 US Amateur champion who earned his tour card this year after six years as a professional, shot a five-under-par second-round 65 in the best of the conditions playing back-to-back rounds yesterday and this morning at Bethpage Black.

The American leads at eight under par, one shot ahead of overnight leader Lucas Glover, who posted a six-under-par 64, and another shot in front of first-round leader Mike Weir, the 2003 Masters champion from Canada who added a 70 to his opening 64.

Barnes, 28, had begun the day in second place at five under and carded three more birdies on a course that yielded just one under par total, that of Woods, when the US Open was first staged there in 2002.

“It’s pretty cool,” Barnes said. “At the beginning of the week you didn’t think that score was out there.

“With some tees moved up and the soft greens helped it out. And my ball-striking was the most probably impressive part of the first 36 holes. I just got 31 of 36 greens. Pretty stress-free, I think one bogey.

“But also if you would have told me I would have been eight under and only a one-shot lead, I would have said, ’You’re kidding me’, but I’ll take it. It was solid play. And I’m happy with in the position I’m at.”

With the halfway cut determined by the low 60 scorers and ties, defending champion Woods found himself on the projected cut line at four over par after eight holes of his second round but three birdies and just one bogey over his next six holes to get to two over with four to play with the line having shifted to five over.

With a band of rain reaching Long Island, the leaderboard remained dominated by Barnes’ initially late-starting side of the draw.

In addition to the top three, Japan’s Azuma Yano shot a 65 to get to three under alongside former Open champion David Duval, who added a 70 to his opening 67, and Peter Hanson of Sweden, who finished with a 71.

England’s Ross Fisher shot a two-under 68 to take a share of seventh place at two under with American amateur Nick Taylor, following a 65, with former Open champion Todd Hamilton and Sean O’Hair at two under.

World number two Phil Mickelson carded a 70 to get to one under par while fellow American Gary Woodland was also on that mark after carding a 66, with American Steve Stricker the only player still out on the course to have crept onto the leaderboard.

Stricker was four under for his round, one under for the week, while Lee Westwood birdied his first three holes to get to one under before two bogeys saw him stall. A birdie at his 13th hole sent him to level par, where Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell was after 16 holes, one over for the day.

McDowell and US amateur Drew Weaver had led the half of the draw which started the tournament on Thursday with their opening 69s having played in much tougher conditions over the first two days.

Their half of the draw, also including the reigning major champions Woods, Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera, began their second rounds today expecting a much tougher time of it with heavy rain closing in.

Oliver Wilson recorded his second consecutive round of 70 to reach level par, as did Sergio Garcia, while Adam Scott was on the same mark following a 71.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy shot a 70 to get to two over but while Ian Poulter birdied his opener at the testing par-four 10th to go to one under, bogeys at the 15th, his sixth, the par-three 17th and par-four 18th sent him back to two over par.

Playing with Woods, Open and US PGA champion Harrington started at six over but finished at 12 over with three to play following a double-bogey, six bogeys and two birdies.

Luke Donald was at four over after 15 holes while Players champion Henrik Stenson was also there after 16. Scotland’s Martin Laird finished at five over for the week after a one-over 71 but world number three Paul Casey, a three-time winner this year, was having a nightmare day, five bogeys sending him to 10 over.

England’s Justin Rose finished his second round at eight over following a 75, with Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland shooting a 76 to fall to 10 over, while South Africa’s Ernie Els finished with a 77 to complete a miserable week at 15 over par.