Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Jun 16, 2007 6:27:51 GMT -5
The 37-year-old added a gutsy 71 to his opening 69 and is the only man not over par after two brutal rounds at Oakmont.
Cabrera's finish sent 19 players on 11 over home early, including Phil Mickelson and England's Luke Donald.
One behind Cabrera is Bubba Watson, whilst English star Justin Rose is in a four-way tie for third on two over, one ahead of compatriot Paul Casey.
"It's great to finish this way, but I've got to keep concentrating," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "The tournament really starts [on Saturday]."
The 29-year-old Casey shot the round of the day, probably the tournament and perhaps his career - a four-under 66, 11 better than his opening round, 10 better than the tournament average and 14 better than his playing partner Stewart Cink.
Rose signed for a second straight 71, a superb effort that was good enough to give him a share of the early clubhouse lead at two over with Australia's Aaron Baddeley, who shot a fine 70.
The 26-year-old Rose's display was particularly impressive as he battled against hay fever and a nose bleed.
"I'm sticking to my game plan and really enjoying the battle," he said.
"I think it's a better 71 than yesterday's. I walked off the course yesterday a little disappointed whereas today I'm delighted with 71."
he Florida-based star made a rocky start to his second round, bogeying three of his first five holes to slide to four over. But a birdie at six stopped the rot and nine pars followed before he birdied 16 and finished with two solid pars.
"I'm in great position actually," added Rose, who famously chipped in at the last to finish fourth in the Open as a 17-year-old amateur at Birkdale in 1998.
"I think it's just, on this course, you can't get ahead of yourself because you never know what's around the corner.
"You're fighting for pars, working hard out there, staying patient and doing all the right things. That's all I am really trying to do right now.
"I enjoy the test and the challenge. You have to work hard within yourself to grind out a good score, and I do enjoy that type of golf."
Rose, who finished in a tie for fifth at the 2003 US Open, also admitted that he had noticed his Casey's charge up the leaderboard.
"When I was going down to the 10th hole I said to my caddie, 'He's three under,' and he said, 'Well, he hasn't finished yet'," said Rose.
"And he finished four under, so 10 shots better than the field average, unbelievable."
Watson, the PGA Tour's longest driver, carded 71, while Rose and Baddeley were joined in third place by Sweden's Niclas Fasth (71) and Canada's Stephen Ames, who posted the only other sub-par effort on Friday, a one-under 69.
That quartet are one ahead of four Americans, Brandt Snedeker, Tom Pernice Jr, David Toms and Scott Verplank, and Swede Carl Pettersson.
A further shot adrift are six players on five over, chief among those being Tiger Woods, who grinded his way to a 74.
"It was hard out there, but you expect that," said the world number one, who is chasing a third US Open title and 13th major championship.
"The wind was blowing out there and that helped to dry the greens out. You just had to keep your patience."
On the same mark, five off the lead, are England's overnight leader Nick Dougherty and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
Of the two, McDowell will be far happier. The 27-year-old from Portrush shot an impressive 72, while the 25-year-old Liverpudlian found the going much harder the second time around Oakmont's challenging lay-out. But his 77 still leaves him firmly in contention.
"Seven over is a bad score but it has put me in the tournament," Dougherty said. "I'm relatively pleased to be honest."
Also still in the hunt are the likes of defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, world number three Jim Furyk and two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen on six over, and England's Lee Westwood a shot worse off.
On a course this punishing, even Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh at eight over, and Ernie Els at nine over, will not feel they are completely out of it. After all, the last time the event was played here, when Els won in 1994, Loren Roberts made the cut on the number and reached a play-off for the title on Monday.
That thin hope was taken from Mickelson, who turns 37 on Saturday, at the death, but with the course only going to get tougher he may be grateful of his place in front of the television this weekend while the carnage continues at the US Open's meanest venue. QC
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/6758715.stm
Cabrera's finish sent 19 players on 11 over home early, including Phil Mickelson and England's Luke Donald.
One behind Cabrera is Bubba Watson, whilst English star Justin Rose is in a four-way tie for third on two over, one ahead of compatriot Paul Casey.
"It's great to finish this way, but I've got to keep concentrating," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "The tournament really starts [on Saturday]."
The 29-year-old Casey shot the round of the day, probably the tournament and perhaps his career - a four-under 66, 11 better than his opening round, 10 better than the tournament average and 14 better than his playing partner Stewart Cink.
Rose signed for a second straight 71, a superb effort that was good enough to give him a share of the early clubhouse lead at two over with Australia's Aaron Baddeley, who shot a fine 70.
The 26-year-old Rose's display was particularly impressive as he battled against hay fever and a nose bleed.
"I'm sticking to my game plan and really enjoying the battle," he said.
"I think it's a better 71 than yesterday's. I walked off the course yesterday a little disappointed whereas today I'm delighted with 71."
he Florida-based star made a rocky start to his second round, bogeying three of his first five holes to slide to four over. But a birdie at six stopped the rot and nine pars followed before he birdied 16 and finished with two solid pars.
"I'm in great position actually," added Rose, who famously chipped in at the last to finish fourth in the Open as a 17-year-old amateur at Birkdale in 1998.
"I think it's just, on this course, you can't get ahead of yourself because you never know what's around the corner.
"You're fighting for pars, working hard out there, staying patient and doing all the right things. That's all I am really trying to do right now.
"I enjoy the test and the challenge. You have to work hard within yourself to grind out a good score, and I do enjoy that type of golf."
Rose, who finished in a tie for fifth at the 2003 US Open, also admitted that he had noticed his Casey's charge up the leaderboard.
"When I was going down to the 10th hole I said to my caddie, 'He's three under,' and he said, 'Well, he hasn't finished yet'," said Rose.
"And he finished four under, so 10 shots better than the field average, unbelievable."
Watson, the PGA Tour's longest driver, carded 71, while Rose and Baddeley were joined in third place by Sweden's Niclas Fasth (71) and Canada's Stephen Ames, who posted the only other sub-par effort on Friday, a one-under 69.
That quartet are one ahead of four Americans, Brandt Snedeker, Tom Pernice Jr, David Toms and Scott Verplank, and Swede Carl Pettersson.
A further shot adrift are six players on five over, chief among those being Tiger Woods, who grinded his way to a 74.
"It was hard out there, but you expect that," said the world number one, who is chasing a third US Open title and 13th major championship.
"The wind was blowing out there and that helped to dry the greens out. You just had to keep your patience."
On the same mark, five off the lead, are England's overnight leader Nick Dougherty and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
Of the two, McDowell will be far happier. The 27-year-old from Portrush shot an impressive 72, while the 25-year-old Liverpudlian found the going much harder the second time around Oakmont's challenging lay-out. But his 77 still leaves him firmly in contention.
"Seven over is a bad score but it has put me in the tournament," Dougherty said. "I'm relatively pleased to be honest."
Also still in the hunt are the likes of defending champion Geoff Ogilvy, world number three Jim Furyk and two-time US Open champion Lee Janzen on six over, and England's Lee Westwood a shot worse off.
On a course this punishing, even Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh at eight over, and Ernie Els at nine over, will not feel they are completely out of it. After all, the last time the event was played here, when Els won in 1994, Loren Roberts made the cut on the number and reached a play-off for the title on Monday.
That thin hope was taken from Mickelson, who turns 37 on Saturday, at the death, but with the course only going to get tougher he may be grateful of his place in front of the television this weekend while the carnage continues at the US Open's meanest venue. QC
news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/6758715.stm