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 1 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.”

Weir followed his 64 with a 70 and was two shots behind. David Duval rallied from a sluggish start for a 70 that put him in the group at 3-under 137.

Woods appeared poised to climb quickly, 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. That would mean 36 holes for a dozen players, including the leaders.

It also helped that only the minimum 60 players made the cut at 4-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.

Video   U.S. Open record for Barnes June 20: With an 8-under 132 through two rounds, Ricky Barnes tells Jennifer Mills he was surprised to learn he had set a new low 36-hole record at the U.S. Open and just had a one-stroke lead.

“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,” Woods said.

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 3 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.”

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