Shane Lowry was relishing being in contention for a maiden major title after making the cut in the US Open for the first time on Friday.
Lowry added a second round of 70 to his opening 69 at Chambers Bay to reach halfway at one under par, four shots off the lead jointly held by Masters champion Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed on five under.
Lowry was best of the Irish with Rory McIlroy’s 72 leaving the reigning USPGA and British Open champion on four over and just inside the cut of five over.
Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, however, won’t be around for the weekend after Clarke finished on 17 over with 2010 winner McDowell ending six over.
Three-time US Open champion Tiger Woods also departed on 16 over.
"I was going along nicely and missed a great chance on 12," Lowry said after a round containing three birdies, one bogey and a double bogey. "I thought if I hit a great putt there to get to three under for the tournament I would have been cruising.
"Then I felt I got unlucky on 14 and just pulled my second shot. Got an awful lie in the bunker and ended up making double from there.
"I hit a great shot into 15, great shot into 16 (without making birdie) and made a great putt for par for 17 from 10 feet. That was massive in regards to the whole round and then I went on to birdie the last, which was nice.
"It was one of those days that I'm quite happy with. It could have been a little bit better, but I'm in a great position for the weekend.
"It's a bit early to be talking about winning" - Shane Lowry
"The good thing for me is I'm feeling a bit more comfortable on the greens. Not 100 per cent, but I'm liking what I'm doing and liking the way I'm hitting my putts."
Lowry missed the cut at Congressional in 2011 and Pinehurst last year, as well as on his Masters debut in April - but finished ninth in the Open at Hoylake last summer.
"It's a bit early to be talking about winning," added the 28-year-old, who won the Irish Open in 2009 while still an amateur.
"There's lots of golf to be played yet, so I need to just keep doing my own thing. I'm driving the ball well. My iron play is good. My putting is getting to where I want it. You never know what can happen on Sunday.
"I felt quite in control of myself all day yesterday and today. It feels good to be here and feeling like the way I felt the last couple of days.
"I was in control of myself, my emotions and everything. I just need to keep that intact the next few days."
Spieth is looking to become only the sixth man, after Craig Wood, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Woods, to win the Masters and US Open in the same year.
The world number two can also become the first player since Gene Sarazen in 1922 to win multiple majors aged 21 or younger at Chambers Bay and set a clubhouse target of five under par that only Ryder Cup partner Patrick Reed was able to match.
Reed and Dustin Johnson both reached seven under par before dropping shots in the tougher afternoon conditions, with Johnson carding three bogeys in his last five holes to finish four under par alongside South African Branden Grace.
At the other end of the leaderboard, Woods added a second round of 76 to his opening 80 - his worst score ever in the US Open and third in the 80s in six events - to finish 16 over par and in a tie for 150th.
