McDowell climbs US open leaderboard

Graeme McDowell was rising to the challenge of the US Open again today in San Francisco.

The 2010 champion – he was the first European winner of the title since Tony Jacklin in 1970 – moved into second place on his own with back-to-back birdies at the Olympic Club.

McDowell found the target from nearly 30 feet at the short 15th, his seventh hole of the second round, and when a 12-footer went in on the next – reduced from 670 yards to 609 – he was up to two under par.

That put the 32-year-old only two strokes behind surprise overnight leader Michael Thompson, who was among the day’s later starters.

For Rory McIlroy, who kept the trophy in Northern Irish hands last year, and world number one Luke Donald, however, it was all about trying to survive the halfway cut.

And things were still not looking good for either of them as they covered the back nine in 37 and 38 respectively.

On eight over par, the 23-year-old McIlroy was in 112th spot and needed to climb into the top 60 to avoid a fourth missed cut in his last five starts.

Donald knew he had a mountain to climb when he resumed in 140th place after a bitterly disappointing 79.

That round did not have a single birdie in it, but although he picked up shots on the ninth and 14th on his return, his tally of bogeys for the week went to 12 when he dropped further strokes at the 11th, 13th and 16th.

As he entered the feared opening six-hole stretch, Donald remained in a tie for 140th and at 10 over he probably needed to find three more birdies just to have a chance of contesting the weekend.

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, who teed off again one under and level par, both dropped a stroke at the 428-yard second and when Rose also bogeyed the fifth - his first three shots all finished in deep rough – they were both one over and joint 12th.

Lee Westwood, playing with Donald and McIlroy in a clash of the world’s top three, was only one behind them – and one under for the day – until he bogeyed the 18th.

In the left-hand rough for the second day running, Westwood came up short of the green in sand, sent his recovery nine feet past the flag and missed the slippery downhill putt to slide to three over.

McDowell, whose victory two years ago came down the Californian course at Pebble Beach, had said after his opening 69: “I’ve always enjoyed the US Open, even before I won.

“It really rewards placement off the tee, just hanging tough, staying patient, placing your iron shots, chipping, putting. Really it’s golf’s toughest test.

“You want to get a little bit of momentum early this week if you can, because if you let this golf course beat you up early in the week it will just continue to do that.

“I’ve just got to keep grinding.”

He did more than that, but the hardest holes were still to come.

“Seven over’s a big hole for any player,” McDowell said.

“If anybody can come back from it Rory can, but this golf course doesn’t really offer up many 64s.”

Tiger Woods, who matched the first day 69s of McDowell and Rose, was another afternoon starter and was doubtless hoping the wind did not pick up too much.