McIlroy stumbles while Detry, Hatton charge at US Open

PINEHURST: Rory McIlroy, chasing his first major triumph in 10 years, stumbled from a share of the lead with two bogeys early in Friday´s second round of the US Open at Pinehurst.

McIlroy fired a bogey-free opening five-under par 65 on Thursday to share the 18-hole lead with ninth-ranked Patrick Cantlay, an American seeking his first major title who tees off in the afternoon.

Third-ranked McIlroy, a back-nine morning starter Friday, missed a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet at the par-5 10th and lipped out on a six-foot par putt to make bogey at 11 and fall one off the lead.

McIlroy missed an 11-foot birdie putt at 14 and at the par-3 15th, his tee shot rolled off the front of the green, setting up a 10-foot par putt miss that brought another bogey. At the par-3 17th, McIlroy rolled in a clutch par putt from just inside 40 feet and at 18, he found sandy brush off the tee but salvaged par to make the turn on 3-under.

Not all struggled on the dome-shaped elevated greens surrounded by dirt and weeds. Belgium´s Thomas Detry, a back-nine starter, made his own early move to share second at 4-under with birdies from just beyond 17 feet at 11, 13 feet at 12 and 16 feet at 13.

Also on 4-under was sixth-ranked Swede Ludvig Aberg, who was second at April´s Masters in his major debut. England´s Tyrrell Hatton moved to 3-under, two back of Cantlay, with two birdies. After a three-putt bogey at the first, Hatton birdied the par-5 fifth, reaching the green in two to set up a tap-in putt, and par-4 seventh, where he sank a six-foot putt.