Rain and surprises at US Open

How benign is Bethpage Black?

There already have been 45 scores in the 60s, compared with 26 scores for the week in the 2002 U.S. Open on the same course. Most of them came from the side of the draw that played 36 holes over the last two days without a drop of rain and mostly sunshine in the sky.

Barnes was on the good side.

"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,' " Barnes said. "But I'll take it. It was solid play."

Lee Westwood, at two-under 138 after a 66, was the only player from the other side of the draw among the top 11 going into the third round.

Steve Stricker, in his hotel room Friday as the others took aim at the flags, did his best to make up ground with a 66, leaving him one under for the tournament and seven shots behind in a group that included Phil Mickelson, who scratched out a 70.

"You realize you got the short end of the stick," Stricker said. "I watched it yesterday and it was a birdiefest, and everybody that they showed was flying it in there and making birdies left and right. And we were struggling to make pars and stuff like that. But you can't dwell on that. Even par was my goal today, and I did one better."

Mike Weir of Canada, who opened with a 64, followed with a 70 and was two shots behind at six-under 134. David Duval rallied from a sluggish start of his second round for a 70 that put him in the group at three-under 137.

Woods was 12 shots behind before his second round even started and appeared poised to climb as quickly as he could. But for every birdie he made to build some momentum, a bogey stopped him. Woods hit 10 fairways and only missed four greens, but took 30 putts.

"Unfortunately, my score doesn't reflect how I've been playing," he said. "It is what it is. But you never know. I've got 36 more holes over the next probably three days."

He was joking -- maybe.

The forecast, which can no longer be trusted at the U.S. Open, was for a chance of rain the next two days. Finishing the second round, however, at least gave the tournament a chance to finish on schedule with a marathon Sunday.

It also helped that only the minimum 60 players made the cut at four-over 144. Among those headed home -- and some were thankful to get out of this quagmire -- were double major winner Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els and Paul Casey.

Woods at least has hope.

"It's just one of those things where if I keep plugging along like any U.S. Open ... we'll see where it ends up," said Woods, who was made aware that the largest 36-hole comeback to win this major was 11 shots by Lou Graham in 1975 at Medinah.

Mickelson didn't make the most out of his good break in the weather, failing to make key putts and struggling again on the par-5 13th. In the second round, he drove into grass so deep he had to take a penalty shot for relief and took bogey. Mickelson is three over on that hole for the week.

Even so, he showed his imagination on the tough 15th by blasting a 19-degree hybrid out of rough so deep he could barely see his ball, from 164 yards to a 40-foot elevated green. It climbed onto the green for a safe two-putt par.

"I like the position I'm in," Mickelson said. "I think that if I can get hot with the putter, I like my chances in the next two rounds."

AP