Europeans do poorly again at US Open

Europe's undistinguished record at the U.S. Open over the last 30 years was highlighted on Friday when only eight players from that continent made the second-round cut at three-over 143.

Although the rain-softened greens at Olympia Fields Country Club were receptive to attacking golf and the halfway cut was the lowest in the tournament's history, European golfers have, by and large, failed to shine over the first two days.

Among those missing out on weekend play were former major champions Jose Maria Olazabal (144), Paul Lawrie (149) and Nick Faldo (150), as well as 25-year-old Briton Paul Casey, widely regarded as one of the emerging talents in the global game.

Best of the Europeans at the tournament's halfway mark was Sweden's Fredrik Jacobson, tied for fifth after scores of 69 and 67, with Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke next best at one-under 139 (70 and 69).

The others Europeans to make the cut were Germany's Bernhard Langer (on 140), Britain's Justin Rose and Irishman Padraig Harrington (141), Spaniard Sergio Garcia, Swede Niclas Fasth and Scot Colin Montgomerie (143).

Briton Tony Jacklin was the last European to win a U.S Open, at Hazeltine National in 1970, and the likes of Harrington and Faldo were under no illusions as to the size of their task at Olympia Fields this week.

"U.S. Open golf is not what European golfers are familiar with," Harrington said on Tuesday. "The courses we play in Europe ... ask for a little bit more imagination, a little bit more flair in your game.

"A U.S. Open course tests your ability to hit it straight, hit it on the green and two-putt. You want to be like a machine ... you want to be the most boring golfer around this week."

Six-times major winner Faldo believes the traditionally tight U.S. venues demand a different degree of consistency.

"If you miss greens here, you are in trouble," he said. "It's a career up-and-down just to get the thing up-and-down.

"If you spray it too much you run up ugly numbers and then there's the putting.

"You get 15 footers here with three foot of break, and you get that all time. You just don't get that in Europe, where you only get six inches to a foot of break for the same length putt."