Åberg handling Pinehurst with a surgeon's precision, McIlroy sits two back

Åberg isn’t immune to the mistake but he has all the shots to cope with it, and he’s more familiar with Pinehurst than most

COOL CUSTOMER: Sweden's Ludvig Aberg during the second round of the US Open at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina. Pic: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Major championships are not supposed to be as easy as Ludvig Åberg makes them seem.

The 24-year-old Swede finished runner-up in his major debut at the Masters two months ago, and then showed his inexperience with a missed cut at the PGA Championship at Valhalla. But he’s dissecting Pinehurst No. 2 with the precision of a grizzled veteran to the tune of 5-under par through 36 holes, firing a second-round 69 to claim a one-shot U.S. Open lead at the halfway point.