Tiger of old surfaces at US Open

16 Jun 2012, 2:28 pm   -   Source: AAP

Tiger Woods is well positioned to claim a 15th major championship after a rollercoaster round two at the US Open.

He was back, then he was gone and finally he was back again.

Tiger Woods grabbed the advantage, lost it, and then wrestled back into a share of the lead after the second round of the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Woods fired an even par 70 to join veterans and fellow major winners Jim Furyk (69) and David Toms (70) at one under 139, two clear of John Peterson (70), Nicolas Colsaerts (69), Graeme McDowell (72) and Michael Thompson (75) who share fourth.

Given the rollercoaster ride the 14-time major champion has experienced since winning his last major in 2008, the atmosphere accompanying his round was almost comical.

Early on there was talk of the 36-year-old running away from the field such was the fluidity of his swing coming off his recent win at the Memorial Tournament.

An early birdie to take the outright lead did nothing but reinforce the view that Tiger the giant killer is back in vogue.

But three bogeys on the trot not long after had many pulling out the knives to sharpen for the kill.

Rather than implode, or kick clubs, or show frustration as has been the case on numerous occasions in the past four years, Woods found another gear, stayed patient and pulled back two birdies to sit where he feels he belongs - on the top of the leaderboard.

"Being patient is certainly something that we have to do in major championships and I think I've done a pretty good job of that over the years," Woods said.

"I've won my fair share, and I understand how to do it."

On the nine occasions he has led a major at the halfway point, he has won eight times. Of the 42 times he has held the lead at this point in his US PGA tour career he has won 34 times.

"As far as being in this position, I like it. I know that being on top takes a bit out of us, but so be it," Woods said.

"I'd much rather be there than missing cuts or just making the cut. So it's a wonderful place to be with a chance to win your nation's Open.

"That was not easy. That golf course was some kind of quick.

"It got dried out. The wind was swirling a little bit out there. It was really, really tough.

"I just had to stay as patient as possible and I did a really good job today."

Alistair Presnell continued as the leading Australian in his first ever major, shooting a respectable 74 to be tied 18th at four-over.

After back-to-back birdies midway through his round the Victorian was just one shot off the lead but five late bogeys and just the one birdie left him five off the pace.

John Senden sits six shots off the pace at five-over par in a tie for 29th while Jason Day (+6), Adam Scott (+6) and Rod Pampling (+7) all managed to make it to the weekend.

Geoff Ogilvy (+10), Brendan Jones (+11), Anthony Summers (+12) and Aaron Baddeley (+14) all failed to make the cut.

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