Rose in ‘perfect’ position for run

Despite hiccups, he’s right where he wants to be after finishing his round in lead

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Justin Rose wasn’t too bothered by two poor swings that slowed his momentum Friday in the U.S. Open. He had too many great par saves that kept him atop the leaderboard when he finished his second round at Pebble Beach.

Rose, leading by as many as four shots among the early starters, had to settle for a 1-under 70 that sends him into the weekend in good shape to pursue another U.S. Open. He was two shots ahead of Aaron Wise, who had an equal share of good and bad for a 71.

Tiger Woods was seven shots behind, and it felt like more.

Woods made a birdie on his second hole, and then missed everything else the rest of the day. Outside of his lone birdie from 10 feet on No. 11, he didn’t make a putt longer than 5 feet.

Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka started slowly and finished with two late birdies for another 69. He was three shots behind in his bid to match a 114-year record with a third straight U.S. Open title.

Rose was at 7-under 135 as Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and others played in the afternoon.

“At this point, there’s not a lot to worry about,” Rose said. “If you’re one ahead, one behind, it’s a lot of golf to be played. But it’s the perfect spot after two days.”

For a short time, it looked as though it might be even better.

Conditions were roughly the same as the first round, with very little wind and cool clouds so thick that condensation felt like a light mist. Rose started slowly, even dropped his putter when a 12-foot birdie chance brazed the edge of the cup, his fifth straight par to start the round.

He reached 8 under for the tournament with a bold 7-iron into 3 feet for birdie on the par-4 second. He was four shots ahead, and his tee shot on No. 3 left him just 85 yards away from a front pin.

And that’s when it turned.

Rose came up short of the green and had to scramble for par. Then, he was torn between driver or an iron off the fourth tee, never got settled and hit his iron over the edge of the cliff and into the ice plant. That led to bogey, and it was all pars the rest of the way.

“I felt like the third hole, I lost a bit of momentum,” Rose said. “Great opportunity there. Was definitely a birdie opportunity, and then laid up in the hazard on No. 4. A bit of lapse of concentration there.”