Rory McIlroy ensured he made the weekend at Kiawah Island but a late stumble soured his round of 72 which left him three-over-par at the PGA Championship.
The Holywood man began with a three-over 75 on Thursday to continue his costly habit of bad starts in the game's biggest events. It also meant he was in danger of missing the cut on the brutally tough Ocean Course but an improved outing saw him climb inside the five-over-par cut mark.
It could have been so much better however. Bogeys on 16, 17 and 18 mean he's eight off the leaders.
Louis Oosthuizen's showstopping 68 has him tied for the lead on five-under with Phil Mickelson, who also starred with a superb 69. Oosthuizen's only blemish came on the 18th, which he bogeyed.
Mickelson's playing partner Padraig Harrington dropped to level par after a gritty 73.
Open champion Shane Lowry was also being made to work hard on the South Carolina coast, but the Offaly man carded an excellent 71 to join Harrington on level par for the tournament heading into the weekend.
A week after accepting a special exemption into next month's US Open, Mickelson was in contention to qualify for Torrey Pines in amazing fashion.
After ending his front nine with bogeys on the 17th and 18th, Mickelson stormed home in 31 with five birdies in his last eight holes.
That gave the left-hander a second round of 69 and set the early clubhouse target at five-under-par.
European Ryder Cup captain Harrington did not play himself out of contention, staying within five shots of 'Lefty', thanks to a one-over 73.
Starting on the back nine, the Dubliner made the turn at one-under for his round thanks to a birdie at the par-four 13th.
He negotiated the fearsome final three holes to par only to drop a shot at the first, fourth, fifth and ninth -counterbalanced by birdies at the second and the sixth during an eventful second nine.
Also starting at 10, Lowry sprung out of the traps with back-to-back birdies before a bogey at 15, which was followed by a par that must have felt like a birdie.
At the par-five 16th the Offaly man found the beach with a wild tee shot, but he recovered and drained the par putt to maintain his momentum.
Despite bogeying the first and sixth, he bounced back on both occasions with birdies at the par fives, second and the seventh holes.
Harrington said he expected Mickelson to remain on the leaderboard all weekend.
"In the position he is, I expect him to contend, and I wouldn't put it past him being there at the end of the week, for sure," said the Irishman of Mickelson.
"I think he has the bit between his teeth. I think he believes he can do it in these conditions, just like myself.
"I think myself, Phil would find it easier to compete on this style of golf course in these conditions in a major tournament all the time. You can be patient on these courses. It suits... somebody who is thinking."
Harrington was referring to the whipping winds which are placing a premium on experience, patience and acceptance, with pars to be prized and birdies treasured.
"I'm having a lot of fun," said Mickelson, who needed an exemption into the US Open - in which he has finished runner-up six times - due to his lowly world ranking of 115.
"To play well, to know I’m playing well heading into the weekend, to be in contention, to have a good opportunity, I’m having a blast. I’m excited for the weekend."
Mickelson, 50, held a two-shot lead after an opening 64 in the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month before fading to a tie for 69th and bemoaning a lack of focus.
"I’m working on it," he added. "I might try to play 36, 45 holes in a day and try to focus on each shot so that when I go out and play 18, it doesn’t feel like it’s that much.
"I might try to elongate the time that I end up meditating, but I’m trying to use my mind like a muscle and just expand it because as I’ve gotten older, it’s been more difficult for me to maintain a sharp focus, a good visualisation and see the shot.
A one under 71 for @ShaneLowryGolf
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) May 21, 2021
It was a round that included one of the best par saves of the day.#PGAChamp
pic.twitter.com/5UGmy04lWe
"Physically I feel like I’m able to perform and hit the shots that I’ve hit throughout my career, and I feel like I can do it every bit as well as I have, but I’ve got to have that clear picture and focus. These first two days have been much better."
South Africa’s Branden Grace had been on course to claim the clubhouse lead as he covered the front in 34 and increased his lead in style by holing out from a bunker for a birdie on the 10th.
Grace, who holds the record for the lowest score in a men’s major following his 62 in the 2017 Open, also birdied the 13th to reach six under, but ran up a double bogey on the daunting 17th and dropped another shot on the last to finish three under.
Overnight leader Corey Conners was a shot further back after following his superb opening 67 with a 75.
The halfway cut fell at five over par and meant the likes of world number one Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia and Tommy Fleetwood all made early exits.
