Horschel, Mickelson share lead at U.S. Open

ARDMORE, PA. — Billy Horschel hit all 18 greens in regulation. Hard to think of a better way to climb to the top of the leaderboard at the U.S. Open.

He shot 3-under 67, sufficiently managing the nasty rough and hard-to-read greens in the second round Friday at the Merion Golf Club.

Play was suspended for the day at the U.S. Open with Phil Mickelson and Horschel tied for the lead. Mickelson birdied the 18th late Friday to finish a 2-over round of 72.

Their 1-under totals of 139 made them the only players under par for the tournament; nearly half the field had yet to complete the second round, which was halted because of darkness.

Luke Donald, Steve Stricker and Justin Rose were in the clubhouse at even par. Two other players were still on the course at even par.

The second round began late in the morning because storms on Thursday forced half the field to return early Friday to finish the first round.

Horschel missed the cut in his only previous U.S. Open, in 2006, but recently won for the first time on the PGA Tour at the Zurich Classic.

“I’ve acquired some patience, not as much as I wish I had,” said the 26-year-old from Jacksonville Beach, Fla.

“But I just think that the older I get, the more mature I get on the golf course, the more understanding that if I do have a bad stretch of holes, it’s not that I don’t hit the panic button, I just don’t press right away.”