First round co-leader Brendon De Jonge jumped out into the outright lead today as the 110th US Open Championship resumed in California.
Zimbabwean De Jonge had shared the overnight lead at two under par with England's Paul Casey and American Shaun Micheel following an opening 69.
Micheel, the 2003 US PGA Championship winner, was the first to show on a much cooler morning than the previous day on the Monterey Peninsula as he birdied his second, the par four 11th, to reach three under.
World Number Nine Casey made a steady start with pars at his first four holes, only to card a triple-bogey eight at the 14th, which had been the most difficult hole on the course on Thursday.
As Casey struggled, De Jonge caught up to the American with a birdie at his third, the par three 12th and kicked on with another at the 13th before both he and Micheel, playing separately, bogeyed 14.
The Harare man bounced back with birdied at the 15th to move into a two shot lead at four under, while Casey got back to level with a birdie at the same hole.
Also moving in the right direction was Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who had started the day at level par but reached the turn at two under thanks to an eventful four-birdie, two-bogey opening nine holes from the tenth tee.
Tiger Woods certainly seemed to get off to a brighter start on Friday, and playing alongside England's Lee Westwood, also three over, and Ernie Els (two over), he started well with a birdie at the 11th.
He gave the shot back at the next hole with a bogey at the par three 12th while Els birdied the 11th and 13th and World Number Three Westwood parred his first three holes.
Westwood hit trouble at the most difficult hole on the course, the par five 14th, when he three-putted for bogey to fall back to three over, Els also bogeying to return to one over, while Woods birdied.
Then Westwood birdied the 15th to join Woods at two over, heading to the 16th.
