Mcllroy rules as stars fall by the wayside

British world number one Luke Donald and a mightily relieved Robert Karlsson of Sweden made the U.S. Open cut with no margin to spare as five former champions failed to advance.

British world number one Luke Donald and a mightily relieved Robert Karlsson of Sweden made the U.S. Open cut with no margin to spare on Saturday as five former champions failed to advance.

Twenty-one players were still on the course when play was halted in fading light Friday and by the time they finished on an overcast Saturday morning at Congressional,the cut fell at four-over-par 146 with 72 players qualifying for weekend play.

Englishman Donald made it right on the number after shooting scores of 74 and 72,as did Karlsson who rebounded from an opening 79 with a six-birdie 67. However,former winners Ernie Els 1994 and 1997,Jim Furyk 2003,Michael Campbell 2005,Geoff Ogilvy 2006 and Angel Cabrera 2007 all missed out. I struggled on the back nine both days and that comes down to not hitting enough fairways and not hitting enough greens, Donald said.

I hit 50 percent of fairways this week and you are always going to struggle on a course like this. Ive got to find something on the weekend and shoot a couple of good rounds and see what happens. Rory McIlroy is well ahead but you keep fighting and see what you can do.

Donald trailed fellow Briton McIlroy by a distant 15 shots,the 22-year-old Northern Irishman having brought Congressional to its knees with scintillating scores of 65 and 66 for a U.S. Open record total of 11-under 131.

His total shaved one stroke off the previous US Open record of 132,set by Ricky Barnes at Bethpage two years ago,and was just one off the lowest halfway score at any major,the 130 set by Nick Faldo at the 1992 British Open at Muirfield.

Karlsson,who was beaten by American Harrison Frazar in a playoff for last weeks St. Jude Classic,progressed to the third round after recording three birdies in his last seven holes. I just really wanted to go out and take it like a practice round because you cant ever practice playing these kinds of golf courses, the 6-foot-5 1.95 m Swede said. When I holed a good par putt on 11,I was six-over then and going to seven-over with seven holes to play would not have been much help. That was a good par save.

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United States Ryder Cup players Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler,2009 British Open champion Stewart Cink and Britons Ian Poulter and Justin Rose were also among those who failed to advance.

Leaderboard After Round 2: 131- Rory McIlroy,140 8211; Robert Garrigus,Sergio Garcia ,Zach Johnson,Brandt Snedeker,141 8211; Kim Kyung-tae ,Alvaro Quiros,Robert Rock.