KEY POINTS:
New Zealand golfer and 2005 champion Michael Campbell has had mixed fortunes during his second round at the US Open at Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
Campbell bogeyed his third hole, birdied his fourth, but then bogeyed his fifth to be one-over through five holes and four-over for the tournament.
Americans David Toms and Olin Browne and Angel Cabrera of Argentina were sharing the lead in the second round after Briton Nick Dougherty stumbled on the tough Oakmont course.
Toms, the 2001 US PGA champion, Browne and the long-hitting Cabrera were tied at level par. Toms had played six holes, Browne nine and Cabrera five on a layout that was playing hard and fast as sunshine and wind firmed up sloping greens.
The 25-year-old Dougherty, who led after a first-round 68, had a two-shot lead until he double-bogeyed his sixth hole and bogeyed his ninth.
Dougherty slipped to one over, a mark he shared with 2003 British Open winner Ben Curtis of the US and Sweden's Niclas Fasth. Curtis had played six holes and Fasth four.
Another shot back at two-over was a group of six that included Tiger Woods and fellow American Bubba Watson, Briton Justin Rose, Australian Aaron Baddeley, Swede Peter Hanson and Canadian Stephen Ames.
Baddeley (70) and Rose (71) were in the clubhouse on 142.
The leaderboard seemed to be changing with every hole as the contenders struggled.
Players found par a lofty goal, as personified by the marquee grouping of world number two Phil Mickelson, the third-ranked Jim Furyk and number four Adam Scott.
Mickelson, battling with an injured wrist, shot a seven-over 77 for an 11-over tally of 151.
That put his streak of 30 consecutive cuts made at major championships, the most by any modern-day player, in jeopardy.
Australian Scott soared to a 12-over 82 for 158 while Furyk, the 2003 champion, had a 75 for 146.
"The greens are firmer and a little faster and I think the pins were tougher," Furyk told reporters. "If the breeze keeps up these guys will be in for a tougher time."
Paul Casey showed a good score was possible.
The 29-year-old Briton fired a brilliant four-under 66, the only sub-par score among the morning starters, for a three-over total of 143.
"The goal today was to go out and shoot something level, a couple over maybe," said Casey. "So 66 is way beyond my expectations."
The top 60 players and tied, and anyone within 10 shots of the lead, qualify for the last two rounds.
- REUTERS, NEWSTALK ZB
