England’s Richard Bland shares an unexpected US Open lead after a dream second round at Torrey Pines on Friday.
The world number 115 is playing in the event for only the second time and shot a four-under 67 to lead on five under.
Late starter Russell Henley stole top spot before a bogey on the last saw him card a 70 to finish level with Bland.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau is level par after a 68, alongside two-time winner Brooks Koepka (73), with Rory McIlroy (73) on one over.
Bland, 48, lost his European Tour card two years ago, but fought back and won a first title in his 478th event in May.
“I am very proud,” Bland – the oldest man to lead the US Open at the halfway stage – told Sky Sports.
“To lead a major is always pretty special. I tied the lead at The Open in 2017 for a hole, so it is nice to have it a bit longer than that.”
South African Louis Oosthuizen, who was among 36 players who had to complete their first rounds on Friday morning after fog delayed Thursday’s play, followed a bogey-free 67 with a 71 that featured two late birdies to leave him one adrift of the leaders.
The late starters provided less excitement with increasingly firm greens making birdies difficult, but American Matthew Wolff managed to move up the leaderboard with a 68 to finish the day on four under.
Earlier, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson’s 67 left him two off the pace on three under, alongside world number three Jon Rahm, who carded a 70.
Spaniard Rahm, who led a PGA Tour event earlier in June by six shots, but was forced to withdraw after a positive coronavirus test, may now be able to make amends on a bigger stage.
San Diego-native Phil Mickelson had a healthy fan following on the California course and there was plenty of noise as the Grand Slam hopeful finished with a birdie to card a 69 and finish two shots inside the four-over cut mark.
Bland takes Mickelson inspiration in fairy-tale round
Following his emotional British Masters victory, Bland said he found inspiration in Mickelson’s recent US PGA Championship win at the age of 50, before which the American was also ranked 115th in the world.
And the Englishman, who turned professional in 1996, says he never considered another career despite the long wait for a first Tour title.
“What am I going to do, go and get an office job?” he said.
“I’m not that intelligent, I’m afraid. The old saying is you get knocked down seven times, you get up eight. I’ve always had that kind of attitude that you just keep going.”
Bland started the day one under after two late bogeys blighted an otherwise impressive round on Thursday, but he marched ahead in round two.
The Staffordshire-born player looked buoyant after two birdies in the first four holes and continued the impressive showing in his fourth major with five more birdies and two bogeys to, at the very least, make the US Open cut for the first time.
McIlroy once had his own US Open fairy-tale – when he won the title aged just 22 – but the San Diego course became a bit of a battleground for the now 32-year-old on Friday.
His was at one point two off the lead, but six bogeys left him in danger of missing the cut before the Northern Irishman regathered himself with two birdies and his two over could provide a solid platform from which to attack over the weekend.
England’s Lee Westwood is in similar position after a 72 left him on one over, while Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre shot a 73 to finish on two over.
Matt Fitzpatrick (75), Tommy Fleetwood (73) and Ian Poulter (71) ended Friday on three over.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland withdrew on nine over midway through his round because of an eye injury, while England’s Justin Rose, Dave Coupland, Matthew Southgate, Tyrrell Hatton and Marcus Armitage missed the cut, as did Scotland’s Martin Laird.
More to follow.
