GOLF: In some instances, it is better to be the pursuer than the pursued. Which, in the case of the 105th US Open unfolding over the austere examination represented by Pinehurst No 2, is a situation that seems to appeal to Sergio Garcia, a player who - at the ripe old age of 25 years - has been lumbered with more baggage than a person a couple of generations older.

He's the perennial holder, it seems, of that grisly tag of being the best player not to have won a major; he's burdened with the historical statistic that no player who has won a regular tournament the week beforehand has gone on to win the US Open; and he's also carrying the expectations of a continent, anxious to finally obliterate the fact that Tony Jacklin was the last European to win this title back in 1970.

In such circumstances, you need a strong constitution. If he were straining to carry such a load of expectations, Garcia didn't show them in yesterday's second round.

On a day considerably cooler than the ones that preceded it, the Spaniard added a 69 to his opening 71 for a level-par midway total of 140.

"If I finish even par for the tournament, I would win by more than one, I'd think," he remarked. "That's my guess. I really think about two or three-over is going to win this thing."

Maybe he is right. Yet, events yesterday proved that the course - made devilishly difficult by firm greens that are expected to get even firmer over the weekend's final two rounds - was still eminently playable. No one proved the point more than Sweden's Peter Hedblom, who shot a second round 66, an improvement of 11 shots on his first round effort to be on 143.

"I'm never going to give in, I'm just going to try 'til the bitter end," said Hedblom, whose preparations were anything but normal when his clubs were lost in transit. He spent two days walking the course with a borrowed putter and wedge, practising his short game around the green complexes before his clubs were belatedly discovered in Newark.

Hedblom is one of 48 first time players in the US Open, yet the weight of history is against one of them going on to win it; and the gathering of some real heavyweights towards the business end of the leaderboard would seem to make the task an ever more difficult one. Lurking with intent on the 140 mark were Garcia, Vijay Singh and Michael Campbell.

It was a difficult day for some, however. Ernie Els struggled to a second round 76 (for seven-over-par 147), while Phil Mickelson had a stretch of six bogeys in seven holes for a 77 (to lie on 146). Olin Browne, one of the two overnight leaders, fired a second round 71 to set the clubhouse target on two-under-par 138.

Garcia knows that he will be a pursuer heading into the weekend, but that doesn't bother him. For the past two years, he has won coming in the US Open.

"This time I feel more confident with my swing," he admitted.

"I really believe in it. You know you've got to hit good, quality shots and I've just got to keep on doing that. If I can do that, I'll be there on Sunday having a chance."

In many ways, Garcia could - and perhaps - should have been in closer proximity to the lead. He suffered two three-putts from eight feet in his round yesterday, on the 15th (his sixth hole) and the third. "Other than those, I felt good about my game. I felt like I played smart. Hit fairways, hit a very good amount of greens.

I only went for the pins when I was feeling very good about it . . . you're grinding it out, trying to shoot even par. I felt like I never let down. I feel good about my putting, I think it has improved a lot."

While Padraig Harrington missed the cut, after shooting a 74 for 11-over-par 151, he got the chance to have a close-up view of Singh. Like Garcia, the Fijian could have signed for a better score and, like Garcia, it was the putter that was his Achilles heel.

"His iron shots were great, from everywhere," remarked Harrington. "It's all in his hands (to win). Particularly so when it comes to the putter." In fact, Singh had no fewer than 35 putts in his second successive 70, after hitting an amazing 16 greens in regulation. Time and time again, however, the birdie putts refused to drop. But Singh was more than pleased with his day's work.

"I feel like I'm in a great position right now . . . and if I can go out there and figure out the pace of the greens, if I can come out strong tomorrow, we'll see what happens. I think if you hit it decent enough and play smart enough, there are still birdie chances out there. If you're driving the ball well, you can even take on the flags."

Meanwhile, out on the course, Retief Goosen, the defending champion, was two-under after 16 holes and David Toms was also on two-under after 17 holes.

Ian Poulter, furious after his opening 77 over a putt which jumped back out of the first hole because the metal drum inside it was not set deep enough, had a hat-trick of birdies from the third and by turning in 33 was up to five over.

The other Europeans were struggling, though - and so was US PGA and Masters runner-up Chris DiMarco.

Playing with Donald and Woods he was out in 42 and then took six on the long 10th to be nine over.