Argentina's Angel Cabrera birdied his final hole on Friday to seize the halfway lead in the US Open on an Oakmont course that humbled golf's best, including Tiger Woods.
Cabrera, winner of three European tour events and a dozen other tournaments in South America, added a one-over 71 to his first-round 69 for an even-par total of 140. Everyone else was over par.
When he sank his 1m putt on his closing hole, the par-four ninth, Cabrera grabbed a one-shot lead over big-hitting US player Bubba Watson and also put paid to world No. 2 Phil Mickelson's chances of playing on the weekend.
"Definitely making a birdie on the last hole gives you a good feeling for what is left ahead," Cabrera said. "That was my last shot, so I was definitely concentrating, trying to make the best shot possible."
Watson, still seeking a first victory in his second year on the US PGA Tour, carded a 71 for sole possession of second place.
Australian Aaron Baddeley, England's Justin Rose, Trinidad-born Canadian Stephen Ames and Sweden's Niclas Fasth shared third on 142, with England's Paul Casey a further shot back.
Mickelson, who missed the cut with an 11-over total after a 77, wasn't alone in his struggles on the par-70, 6611m Oakmont course, whose tilting, glassy greens lived up to their formidable reputation.
"It was playing really hard," said world No. 1 Woods, who carded a four-over 74 for a five-over total of 145.
"The greens got really quick, it got really hard to place the ball under the hole," he said.
Asked if the course was bordering on unfair, Woods said: "It's close. It's right on the edge."
The round of the day belonged to England's Paul Casey, whose 66 put him at three-over 143.
Casey sank a 15m shot for birdie at his opening hole, the 10th, and added birdies at the long par-five 12th, 14 and 17.
His only bogey came at 18 and he had six pars and a birdie in the round.
The 11-shot turnaround from Thursday stunned Casey.
"It probably ranks as the finest round I've had in all the time I've been playing golf," Casey said. "This is possibly the toughest course I have ever played and I feel fortunate to walk off with a 66."
Creativity paid off for Cabrera, who saved par on the fourth hole by hitting out of a weed-infested ditch onto the neighboring fifth fairway and going for the fourth green from there.
"It was definitely a key to make a par on that hole because I hit my worst shot there with my tee shot," he said.
His next visit to the fifth fairway resulted in a bogey, however, when he three-putted from 10m on the fifth.
He regained sole possession of the lead with his textbook birdie at the ninth.
Watson, who leads the PGA Tour in driving distance but is still searching for his first tour victory in his second season, had four birdies and five bogeys in his 71.
He missed the cut in his only previous appearance in the Open in 2004 and admitted feeling some trepidation to yesterday.
"I'm excited, because I play golf because I want to win," he said. "I'm going to be nervous no matter what. I was nervous Thursday, I was nervous in the practice rounds."
Rose showed remarkable consistency to gain his share of third place by posting his second straight 71. He had to rebound from three early bogeys to do it.
"I was three-over-par early in my round through five, and made two birdies and no bogeys in the last 13, so I was very pleased with that," said Rose, who also had to shrug off a nosebleed that he believed was caused by hayfever early in the round.
Baddeley carded a 70, Fasth a 71 and Ames a 69 that was the only round apart from Casey's under par.
Nick Dougherty of England, the overnight leader, settled for a 77 to join Woods on 145.
Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy of Australia posted a 75 for 146. Vijay Singh and Jose Maria Olazabal were among a group on 148 and South African Ernie Els, who won the last US Open held at Oakmont in 1994, was on 149.
The halfway cut fell at 10-over 150, which saw Mickelson miss it by a stroke after a 77.
He dropped six shots in four holes starting with a double-bogey at seven, followed by two bogeys and finishing up with another double-bogey at the 10th.
"That stretch really did me in," he said.
Other notable names who failed to advance included Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, who like Mickelson blew a chance to win at Winged Foot last year, two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa and world No. 4 Adam Scott of Australia.
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