Leaderboard Early third leaders at Oakmont

-3 Lee Westwood (England) after 6 holes, Andrew Landry after 3, Dustin Johnson after 3. -2 Shane Lowry (Ireland) after 4. -1 Andy Sullivan (England) after 5, Daniel Summerhays after 5, Gregory Bourdy (France) after 4, Sergio Garcia (Spain) after 4. E Branden Grace (South Africa) after 11, Derek Fatheuer after 9. +1 Jason Day (Australia) after 9, Adam Scott (Australia) after 6, Scott Piercy after 3, +2 Jordan Spieth after 10, Brendan Steele after 8, Bubba Watson after 8, Zach Johnson (after 6), Louis Oosthuizen (S Africa) after 6. second round late on Friday evening – was for long enough not the focus of attention yesterday morning. Frenchman Bourdy’s remarkable run of six birdies and an eagle in 10 holes, in a round that began inauspiciously with a dropped shot, launched the four-time winner on the European Tour to the top of the leaderboard. Not for long though. A second bogey of the day arrived at the short 16th and a short putt for yet another birdie was spilt on the penultimate green before an unfortunate double-bogey at the last.

After pitching no more than 20 feet short of the pin, Bourdy’s ball spun back off the green and into a divot mark. From there, the inevitable duffed chip was followed by two putts.

“I thought I hit the perfect approach,” he said after signing for a 67.

“But that is golf. On courses like this one you have to play perfectly. I could have played more to the left and been safer, but I took the risk. And of course I was a bit unlucky. The chip from the divot was very difficult. It was an almost impossible shot.”

Just as Bourdy was beginning his move to the front, a more familiar European name was looking down on the rest of the 156-man field. No one in golf ’s long history has more top-three finishes in the four major championships – nine – than Lee Westwood. Without winning even one of the game’s most important events that is.

But after reaching five-under par with birdies at two of his first four holes, the 43-year old Englishman embarked on a run of six bogeys in nine holes from the 6th. He steadied thereafter – Westwood finished only three back on one-under par – but his position could have been so much healthier.

Even earlier, those left stranded by darkness on Friday evening were back on the course to finish up their second rounds. Most significantly in that group, 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen made it to even par when he added a scintillating round of 65 to his opening 75.

“I’m back in the tournament which is good to know,” confirmed the South African. “I just as easily could have gone out there, shot 74 or something and been headed home.”

That, as ever in any major championship, was the fate of some notable names in addition to McIlroy.

With the cut falling at 146, six over par, Phil Mickelson, 2006 champion Geoff Ogilvy, Luke Donald, Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, 2013 champion Justin Rose, Jamie Donaldson and 1994 and 1997 champion Ernie Els will take no further part in proceedings.