Dinwiddie makes stunning progress at Torrey Pines (From The Northern Echo)

Dinwiddie makes stunning progress at Torrey Pines

10:20am Saturday 14th June 2008 in Sport

BARNARD Castle's Robert Dinwiddie got off to a flying start with three birdies on his first five holes on in second round of the US Open.

He ended the day on 71, two over for the championship, after a front nine score of 34 was followed by a 37 for the back nine.

After a 73 on Thursday, Dinwiddie quickly got to even par at at Torrey Pines with birdies at his first two holes. He slipped back with a bogey an the fourth but immediately followed that up with a birdie at five.

Meanwhile, Luke Donald kept his name near the top of the leaderboard as Padraig Harrington did just about all he could to guarantee he plays the weekend.

Donald carded a second round even par 71 to be in a good position, just three strokes off the lead with the leaders yet to tee off.

At two under par through ten holes, Donald was one stroke off the lead but a pair of bogeys later and he was three back with some work to do.

Donald had a pair of birdies on the front nine and started the back nine with a par at the tenth hole.

He then bogeyed the par-three 11th after missing the green and failing to get up and down. He dropped another shot at 12 after his approach found the deep rough to the left of the green.

He chipped out to about 15 feet but missed his par putt to drop to even par for the day.

But Donald rebounded with a birdie at 13 to get to one under and he stayed there until a bogey at the par-three 16th.

He closed with a pair of pars and was at even par on 142 after 36 holes.

"I'm happy with the position I'm in,'' said Donald.

"I'm not sure what the guys going out later are going to do, and certainly there is a three or four-under round out there if you play well.

After a tough opening round, Harrington found his form and had the best round of the day yet when he signed for a four-under 67.

Harrington, the reigning Open champion, carded a 78 on Thursday and entered the second round knowing it would be a battle for him to make the cut. He looked well on his way to bettering that score after playing his first nine in two under.

He started his round on the tenth and made his first birdie at the par-five 13th before adding a birdie at the par-five 18th.

Harrington maintained his strong play coming home, birdying the second and seventh and just missing from 12 feet for birdie at the ninth.

At three over, Harrington should easily make the cut and have a shot at making a move up the leaderboard if he can maintain today's form.

Donald had started the day three strokes behind Kevin Streelman and Justin Hicks but Hicks has since taken the outright lead.

Hicks parred his first hole and led by one-stroke over Rocco Mediate, Stuart Appleby and Eric Axley, who had yet to tee off.

Hicks, who was tied with Streelman at three under after the first round, was alone in first after Streelman made a mess of the par-three third hole.

Streelman ended up with a plugged lie in the greenside bunker after his tee shot came up short at the third.

He blasted out but his ball went over the green into the brush and his third rolled off the front of the green to a chipping area, from where he needed three putts to finish the hole with a triple-bogey.

He parred his next two holes but had a double-bogey at six before bouncing back with birdies at the seventh and ninth.

Streelman finished with a sixover 77 to lie at 145 along with Harrington.