Golf Events / Editor / 15 June 2007 /

It is the unlikely figure of Angel Cabrera that leads the field at the halfway stage of the US Open, but ominously Tiger Woods remains in touch going into the weekend as Oakmont starts to show its teeth.

After a pretty tame first day, the Pennsylvania course bit back on Friday and golf's top names found themselves hacking out of thick rough and struggling to cope with the lightening fast greens.

Argentinian Cabrera followed up his opening 69 with a second round 71, leaving him as the only player not over par on the leaderboard. His level par total after two rounds gives him a one shot lead over America's Bubba Watson.

The man from Cordoba, who's best previous finish at the US Open was tied seventh in 2001, is known for his length off the tee but Cabrera's normally inconsistent form will cause backers some concerns.

The 36-year-old can be backed at 10.5 to win his first Major title this weekend, while Cabrera is trading at 1.85 to seal a top ten finish.

Watson meanwhile, will be hoping his continued excellence around the greens will keep him in contention. The 28-year-old is fourth in this week's putting stats - averaging 28 putts a round. Watson is on offer at 21 to be crowned a shock champion come Sunday night.

A group of four players sit two shots off the lead on +2, Australia's Aaron Baddeley, England's Justin Rose, Sweden's Niclas Fasth and Stephen Ames of Canada.

Baddeley, tipped all season as a potential Major contender, fired a level par 70 on Friday which included a frustrating bogey five at the 18th. The Aussie has already won on the PGA Tour this season, the FBR Open in February, and is trading at 12.5 to claim the second Major of the year.

Rose leads the British challenge and his battling performance at the Masters appears to have boosted his belief that he is among the best players in the world. The Englishman finished tied fifth at the US Open four years ago and punters believe he can mount a serious winning challenge at Oakmont. Rose is the second favourite at 10 to lift the trophy and can be backed at 2.8 to finish in the top five.

Fasth, ranked just inside the top 40 in the world rankings, has hit back-to-back rounds of 71 and should he repeat that over the weekend, he could well see his name in the top five (6). The 35-year-old is on offer at 6.6 to finish the tournament as the top European.

Ames has already shown his capabilities at the big events by winning the Players Championship last year and is ranked among the list of 'best players never to win a major'. The man born in Trinidad and Tobago is ranked in the top ten of fairways hit and putts per round at Oakmont this week and is on offer 16 to be victorious.

The best round on Friday was from England's Paul Casey, who's fantastic 66 leaves him at +3 and in fine mood going into the weekend. Casey has only once made the cut at the US Open (tied 15th last year) but is now on offer at 16.5 to win the event and 4.4 to finish as the top European.

Interestingly, seven of the top 12 players are European or International stars but the Stars and Stripes could well be aloft by Sunday....especially if Tiger has his way!

The world number one struggled to a four-over-par round of 74 on Friday, which included six bogeys and two birdies and left him five shots off the leader. Woods is yet to make an eagle this week, which shows just how tough and long Oakmont is playing, but he is -1 for the par threes.

The stats show that Woods is trying to plot his way round the course, with his average drive less than 300 yards - placing him in 35th in this week's driving stats. Despite his subdued form so far, punters still see the 12-time Major winner as the man to beat.

Woods is the 4.7 favourite to win the event, which would be his first US Open title since 2002, while the father-to-be is available at 1.95 to finish in the top five.

The other challenges from the chasing pack could come from the group of players on +6, with no fewer than three former champions waiting to pounce over the weekend - Jim Furyk (25), Lee Janzen (360) and Geoff Ogilvy (36). 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir (95) is another who could mount a strong challenge from six shots off the pace.

Several big names won't be at Oakmont though over the next couple of days after enduring nightmare rounds on Thursday and Friday - with players at +11 or more missing the cut and heading home.

World number two and last year's runner-up Phil Mickelson was obviously badly hampered by his wrist injury and finished on eleven-over-par, the same score as European duo Thomas Bjorn and Luke Donald.

It was also a tournament to forget for South African hopeful Trevor Immelman (+12), former winner Retif Goosen (+13), Ireland's Padraig Harrington (+13), Sergio Garcia of Spain (+14), Sweden's Henrik Stenson (+15), world number four Adam Scott (+18) and Scotland's Colin Montgomerie (+18). Spare a thought also for young Texan Ryan Palmer, who finished on +28 after back-to-back rounds of 84.

It probably won't be the last time we see an 80-plus round posted at Oakmont this week, with the tournament organisers likely to make the pin positions and greens even tougher for the last 36 holes.

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