Payne Stewart had at least two good reasons to smile Friday after the second round of the U.S. Open.

He beat par for the second straight day on Pinehurst No. 2, a scrambling 1-under 69 that gave him a share of the lead and yet another chance to win his second Open.

And Lee Janzen was nowhere in sight.

For the fifth time in eight years, Stewart worked himself into contention in the U.S. Open after 36 holes. He has been the runner-up twice during that stretch, both times to Janzen, including last year at The Olympic Club.

But while Janzen narrowly made the cut at 147, Stewart made three crucial par saves over the final five holes to join David Duval and Phil Mickelson at 137.

"Any time you can go around and shoot under par at a U.S. Open, I don't care where we're playing, it's a good score," Stewart said. "I'm proud of that."

Stewart should know.

His only U.S. Open victory came in 1991 after an 18-hole playoff against Scott Simpson, but he has been in the hunt as much as anyone this decade. He led after 36 holes at Oakland Hills in 1996 until a 76 in the third round knocked him down. He also led after three rounds at Olympic until Janzen closed with a 68 and Stewart stumbled to a 74.

"I have 36 holes to play -- I know that," Stewart said. "And I know that I've got to take care of my business. I can't worry about what everyone else is doing. I have to go out and stick to my game plan, try to hit a lot of greens. And if I don't, I get it up-and-down and take my pars and go on."

Stewart already has won on the PGA Tour this year, a one-stroke victory at Pebble Beach when the final round was canceled by rain. His last 72-hole victory was the Houston Open in 1995, when Scott Hoch fell apart on the closing holes.

Put Stewart in a U.S. Open, however, and he's a new man.

"I think one of the reasons I do well at U.S. Opens is that I get a mind-set that par is a good score," he said. "However I go about making par -- whether it's two beautiful shots and two putts, or two ugly shots, a chip and a nice putt -- I take my par and go."

He could have used that strategy a year ago. With a four-stroke lead over Tom Lehman, and seven strokes ahead of Janzen at one point in the final round, Stewart made bogey on two of the five last holes to lose by a stroke.

Old news, as far as Stewart is concerned.

"I feel good about the way I'm playing," he said. "I feel like I'm playing better this year at the U.S. Open than I played last year. I feel I've got more control over my golf game, over my swing."

Olympic has always been known as a graveyard of champions. Ben Hogan lost to Jack Fleck in a playoff and never won another Open. Arnold Palmer squandered a seven-stroke lead to Billy Casper in 1996, then lost in a playoff and never won another major.

Tom Watson was on his way to winning the 1987 Open until Simpson birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th for a one-stroke victory. After that year, he went nine seasons before winning.

Stewart, a two-time major winner, is determined not to be the next one.

"I could have crawled away and hid after that happened last year," he said. "Or, I could build on what happened and the position I was in, and use it to strengthen myself. And that's the avenue I chose to take."

So far, it's working.

AP