The fog of Thursday and early Friday eventually gave way to a swift breeze off the Pacific Ocean that were posing the world’s best many problems during the second round.
England’s Nick Faldo responded to the challenge but bogeys at the 14th, 16th and 17th holes hampered his second round challenge and he finished one-over following a 74.
Faldo told Sky Sports: “I lost my concentration slightly of what I was trying to do - keeping the ball on the right side of the green. I left myself a few up and downs, which was always tricky."
It means the former world number one is still in contention for the 100th US Open at Pebble Beach after he rolled back the years with another competent performance.
“I’m still learning and it’s good experience. My game had a good feel and I need to take it up a notch," Faldo added.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been in contention and I’ve been thrown in the deep end really because I’ve done a lot of re-working with my game, a lot of it is new and untried. I’m just hoping I can keep it up for the rest of the year.
“I’ve been working hard for a month quietly on my game and made some changes. It was a great opportunity to get on the leaderboard.
He hit some crisply struck iron shots and, in a department that hasn’t been firing on all cylinders, his putting looked solid with some gutsy par-saving putts that were his trademark in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
After an opening 69, the six-times major winner began his second round by dropping shots at the second and fifth. But he birdied the next two to get back to two-under par at the 13th.
Faldo started the day by bogeying the 14th hole and he did exactly the same the second time round after leaving a chip and putt short.
After driving into rough at the 16th, his approach bounded over the green into more thick grass where he duffed his chip for another bogey.
Another shot went at the par-three 17th. His tee shot came up short in a bunker where he thinned his sand shot over the back of the green but did well to get down in two.
At the last, his long distance birdie putt from the front of the green ran out of steam but he holed a tricky six-footer for a par to finish with a second round of 74.
Faldo added: “It’s a tough golf course and I’ve had some good feedback. Hopefully I’ll have a good weekend and then prepare for the Open.”
