0032 : It's been a fantastic few days at Oakmont and a hugely dramatic final day. Hope you enjoyed the commentary, stay logged on to skysports.com for all the reports and reaction. Goodnight.
0031 : It was just one birdie over the final 32 holes for Tiger and his record of never having won a major from behind on the final day remains. He stayed in contention through willpower alone, but Cabrera has emerged as a worthy winner. He's the first Argentine to triumph at a major for 40 years and his beaming smile from the clubhouse tells the story.
0030 : Woods sets his putt on the way, but like Cabrera's it's always just too far right and the stony silence of the American galleries says it all. Angel Cabrera is the new US Open champion!
0028 : Baddeley putts first and closes out with a bogey to complete a 80 that he will want to forget. He ends up +12 after starting the day with real hopes of winning. It's all eyes on Tiger now...
0022 : The wedge thunders all the way to the green and is pin high at one stage, but he can get no spin from the rough and the ball makes its way to the back end of the green meaning he will have a putt similar to Cabrera's here about 30 minutes, about 20/25 feet, ago to force a play-off.
0020 : Tiger has 154 yards left and needs a birdie... he's just in the first cut off the right of the fairway. The club he has selected...? A wedge! Let's see what he can do...
0016 : Paul Casey is another to end on a high, two threes at 17 and 18 mean he is home in 33... some effort that. However, the damage was done on the front nine when he hit the turn in 43. A 76 means that he finishes on 11-over, tied with compatriot Rose. Not where he would have wanted to be at the start of the day, but he'll be back.
0013 : A disappointing day for Rose culminates in a bogey five at the last to give him a 76. He finishes at 11-over - another good tournament, but once again it so close yet so far...
0012 : Resilient as ever, the world number one has rolled it in and is still in this championship. He still needs a three down the last to tie Cabrera, but that was a top pressure putt.
0010 : He's played it and it looked good for a while as it wandered across the green towards the flag, but the ball doesn't stop and rolls off the green and into an awkward spot in the first cut. He has no room to work with for the resulting chip and has left six/seven feet for par - huge putt coming up...
0003 : Tiger goes with the three-wood and finds the bunker to the right of the green. Sounds bad, but that is as good as it could have finished over there, a bad lie in the rough and he could have been making bogey like Furyk, he now has a decent chance of getting up and down for birdie. Can he produce some magic from the sand, you wouldn't back against it...
0001 : Big choice for Tiger at 17, he has the power to reach the par-four but does he take wood or iron?
2358 : A quick word for American Bubba Watson who seemed to have blown any chance as lost his cool with that ridiulous triple-bogey at nine yesterday. He won't win, but ever since then he has stuck to his task admirably and will go down the last on +8, all on his own in fifth place.
2356 : Furyk sinks the remaining five foot to ensure he finishes on six-over, he'll rue that bogey on 17 now but it's another top-three major finish for the unassuming American.
2353 : Furky cannot pull a rabbit from the hat, his long putt wanders towards the hole but is always some way right and his race is run. It's up to the Tiger now...
2350 : Furyk can only find the fringe at the back of the 18th green and will have to hole an extraordinary putt to have any chance of catching Cabrera now. On 16 Tiger's first putt is solid rather than spectacular and he'll have seven or eight feet for his par.
2346 : Good news for Nick Dougherty, he now sits in a tie for seventh on ten-over - along with Ames, Rose, Kelly and Verplank - and is now guaranteed a spot at next year's Masters... a brilliant week has just got even better.
2345 : Cabrera leaves the 18th and makes his way to the scorer's tent punching the air, he thinks he's done enough... I'm not so sure yet. Tiger has left himself a long old two-putt for par at 16, while Furyk has found the middle of the fairway on 18.
2342 : Furyk can only watch as his putt shaves the hole and stays up. Tiger makes one at just the right time so the two Americans are now level on six-over. Cabrera sidles his putt up to the jaws on 18, so that's a four for him and the total has been set... better five-over to win.
2340 : Tiger and Furyk both have crucial par putts coming up...
2335 : From a good lie on the fringe of the 15th fairway Tiger can only find the rough to the right of the green, big misjudgement and it's a difficult up and down. Furyk's lie at 17 was as bad as it looked and he can only shovel it forward a few yards, but it doesn't reach the green and that could quite easily be a bogey. Meanwhile, up ahead two clean strikes means Cabrera has 25 foot left on the 18th green... two could be good enough, one almost certainly would.
2330 : Niclas Fasth will end his campaign in style and could yet win the thing as a magnificent second at 18 - the toughest hole all week - means he will have a matter of inches to post seven-over. Surely it's not going to be quite good enough, but what a way to bring the curtain down for the Swede, a 70 and he takes over the clubhouse lead.
2327 : Cabrera's chip at 17 is on the timid side and he leaves himself ten foot for par. It slides by on the low side and Furyk now has a share of the lead on five-over... but for how long, the American has just found a dreadful spot in the thick stuff beside the 17th green and has it all on to make par now. Don't know how much more of this I can take!
2324 : Things just aren't happening for Tiger, it's another well-judged putt at 14 but again it doesn't disappear and it's birdies he needs now.
2323 : Furyk comes within a whisker of making it four birdies in a row with a simply stunning putt over two different levels at the par-three 16th. It comes to rest bang next to the hole for a certain par and the American looks to be finding his best form at exactly the right time, especially with Cabrera facing a tricky little up and down at 17...
2320 : Fasth's fine championship continues as he makes par at 15, 16 and 17 to remain eight-over and in a tie for fourth. The Swede is a real battler and fully deserves, as now looks likely, to finish as top European.
2312 : Furyk is first up and holes his birdie putt at 15 - what a charge from the 2003 champion, that's three birdies on the bounce. But Tiger cannot follow suit, he sets his six-footer out on the high side and it refuses to comeback... he really hasn't holed a thing for the last couple of rounds. Cabrera is last with his putt for par and that also fails to drop, the lead is now back to one.
2307 : Furyk comes close to matching Cabrera's heroics at 15 with another simply breathtaking iron. He'll have six or seven feet to move to five-under... but so will Tiger after a top-notch iron of his own at the par-three 13th. If those two drop and Cabrera fails to make what looks like a tricky up-and-down at 16 then it will all be in the melting pot once again.
2302 : Three bogeys in four holes for Rose since the turn and his championship is petering out badly, he's back to ten-over...
2258 : Cabrera steps up and rolls in his tiddler for birdie and the championship is now his to win or lose. Three up and three to play, can he hold his nerve?
2253 : Moment of brilliance from Cabrera at 15... 167 yards to the pin and the burly Argentine steps up and spins in a wonderful iron that comes within a whisker of dropping. What a time to produce a shot like that... that will surely mean a three-stroke cushion and Tiger and co will have it all to to catch the South American then. Meanwhile at 14 Furyk makes back-to-back birdies and joins Woods at +6.
2246 : It's a very rare error from Tiger at 11, he found the centre of the fairway with his drive but still takes five after a poor iron. He's back to six-over, two behind Cabrera who now only has four left to play. Jim Furyk reacts to consecutive bogeys with a well-judged birdie putt on 13 and suddenly he's just a shot behind Woods again. It's twists and turns every step of the way, how many more are left?
2240 : Great three at 14 for Fasth and the Swede is just refusing to go away. He's back to eight-over where he joins Scott Verplank and Bubba Watson. Infact you can add Jim Furyk and playing partner Steve Stricker to that list as they make bogey and birdie respectively at 12. Sadly Justin Rose is a shot adrift of them after a second straight five at 11. The only people now ahead of that quintet are Woods and Cabrera...
2232 : Well done Nick Dougherty! The Liverpudlian finishes a great week on a high as he drains a 15-footer for par on 18 to complete a 71. He's posted a target of +10... it will probably been a couple to many to be honest, but he can be genuinely proud of his efforts at Oakmont. A top-ten finish for him looks a certainty given the way the course is now playing.
2227 : This time it's Tiger who spurns a decent birdie chance at ten, but given the break on his putt, which almost travels in an arc, he'll be happy to take a four and head to the next tee. Baddeley drops another one after yet another three-putt to fall back to nine-over, while Paul Casey has gone right off the boil, he's +13 through 11 holes... what a disappointing collapse by the Englishman.
2224 : Big Angel passes up a genuine birdie chance at the monstrous 667-yard par-five 12th as his seven-footer across the green refuses to break and stays on the high side. You may be wondering just how you make a birdie at a hole that's the best part of 700 yards long, but if you drive the ball 397, (yes 397!!), yards like old Angel it makes life a bit easier.
2220 : Everyone seems to be moving backwards at the moment with the exception of Cabrera, who is playing superbly and two-under for the day, and the Tiger. While the Argentine is going for broke and taking risks in a bid to get rewards, Woods is playing error-free golf and doing everything in his powers to limit possible errors... will be fascinating to see whose approach pays off.
2215 : Two double-bogeys on the bounce for Stricker who has hit reverse gear at just the wrong time, he's back to nine-over, where he joins Ames, who's made a brave birdie at ten, Fasth and Jerry Kelly who is going along very nicely at just one-over for his final round. Stricker's playing partner Jim Furyk dropped a shot at 11 as he took three to get down from the back left hand side of the green.
2206 : Dougherty had managed a run of nine pars to remain at nine-over but that comes to an end at 16 where three putts means a bogey four. Similar story for Justin at 10 as he three-putts and the anguished look on his face tells the story. Every time he holes an important one he seems to shoot himself in the foot at the next hole, he's not gone, but at eight-over could do with a birdie to revitalise his challenge.
2202 : Two more look to be falling by the wayside as Baddeley follows his double with another bogey at eight to fall back to eight-over. He hasn't holed a single putt of note today and seems to be dragging them all left of the hole. Stephen Ames has had a horror half hour, after that seven at seven, he has now taken six at nine. Two more shots gone and he's back to ten-over and that could be it for him now.
2159 : Furyk does indeed make par at ten, but partner Stricker surrenders his share of the lead as three rather timid putts result in a double-bogey. He falls back, but Cabrera strides back to the top of the leaderboard by draining his three-footer at 11, he's four-over again and out in front, leading Woods by one and Furyk by two.
2152 : Baddeley can do no better than double-bogey at seven, once again showing how severe the penalty tends to be if you miss the fairway. Cabrera has a spring in his step, he looks to be relishing the challenge and gives himself every chance of birdie at 11 with a delightful wedge. Furyk is plodding along nicely, level par for his round with one bogey and one birdie and a very delicate chip at ten looks to have saved par.
2148 : Swede Niclas Fasth has also dropped off the pace after a run of three consecutive bogeys at seven, eight and nine. Well done Justin! Rose sinks a crucial putt for par at nine, he was in big trouble after his drive found rough, but held his nerve to roll home a 10-footer to stay at seven-over and within range.
2142 : Casey dropped another a seven so he's 11-over... the Europeans just seem to start moving backwards when you get towards the business end and, unless Rose can find some magic, that long wait looks to be going on. Baddeley, who responded with five straight pars to that triple-bogey on teh first, is about to see that run come to an on seven as he's already had three shots and is in the greenside bunker. Tiger has 15/10 foot for birdie.
2137 : This really is so hard to keep track of! Ames, who had been looking very composed, loses his head at seven and, after a number of ugly and ill-advised hacks manages to take a triple-bogey seven. That's the Canadian back to eight-over and he has plenty to do to get himself back involved.
2133 : Tiger cracks out his first big fist pump of the day after another top-notch up-and-down - this time from the sand - saves par at six. Baddeley cannot convert from five foot for birdie so both remain five-over. Rose lets one slip away at eight and it will have hurt as it was another three-putt after he found the green with his tee-shot, he's two off the pace at seven-over.
2132 : Once again, as soon as someone hits the front they fall back as Cabrera cannot overcome an unfortunate kick for his drive at nine and ends up taking a bogey five - that was harsh on the Argentine, but it means there's a five-way tie at the top... don't expect it to last, shots can drift away in no time, especially as the pressure grows.
2127 : Nick Dougherty is enjoying a splendid final round, he's level-par for the day and in a tie for ninth on nine-over.
2121 : Casey's playing partner Ames made bogey at six so Cabrera now leads on his own on four-over, Tiger shows his mettle by somehow getting up and down for a miraculous par to stay only one off the pace. Rose holds a clutch putt on seven to maintain his challenge, he's only six-over still.
2117 : Cabrera uses his length to excellent effect at the monster 288-yard par-three eighth with a fine birdie, only the second of the day. Tiger has found big trouble at five after falling into the nasty stuff short of the green, while Casey's hopes could just have gone up in smoke at the short sixth. He found the bunker with his tee-shot and had to play out backwards before finding rough with his attempted chip. He leaves with a triple-bogey six and, at ten-over, could now have run his race.
2112 : Geoff Ogilvy's defence ends with a 75 to leave him +18 for the championship. Olly finishes +20 after a 74, while Westwood brings a close to his championship with a more than respectable 72, he's +18. Graeme McDowell is having a day to forget, he's seven-over for his round and +17 overall.
2108 : Stricker's stay at the top of the leaderboard is short-lived as he comes up with a bogey-five at seven, but Tiger wipes the memory of that double-bogey with a birdie at four courtesy of a sublime chip. Baddeley makes par when he really should have made birdie at the very least having had a putt for eagle. It's all change at the moment, no-one seems to want to keep a hold of the lead.
2104 : Ames uses the contour of the fifth green to excellent effect to set up another very presentable birdie chance at five, but sees him putt lip out. Bubba almost secures an ace at six as his super tee-shot just grazes the hole, again though he can't convert the putt and has to settle for a par, the same story as partner Rose who also came up with a stunning tee-shot. Meanwhile, Casey drops one at five after finding sand with his tee-shot and thick, thick rough with his second.
2055 : Casey pays for those two missed opportunities as he bogeys three to fall back to six-over and is joined by Jim Furyk who birdies the short sixth. The American made a fairly subdued start but is now well-placed to make a real challenge.
2048 : Tiger's six leaves Ames in charge at four-over, but he is joined by Steve Stricker who has had a fantastic few holes. He bogeyed the first to fall back to seven-over, but subsequently birdied three, five and then six to claim a share of the lead. You would have got long odds on these two leading before we got underway. Ames is looking the most composed player on the course currently, he's striking it nicely and has been a model of consistency thus far... mind you, I suppose Stricker isn't doing too shabbily!
2042 : Cabrera gives one back at the short sixth as he finds sand from the tee, while Justin bounces back from his double with a cracking birdie at the par-five fourth. Tiger and playing partner Baddeley both go through the green at three like Rose, but while the Australian plays an amazing recovery to leave himself four foot for par, Tiger blades his chip and can only watch on as it races through the green the other side. He then chips out to leave 25 feet for bogey and having missed that leaves the green with a double-bogey six.
2033 : Cabrera sinks his putt at five and joins Woods and Ames at the top of the leaderboard. He looked a little uncomfortable yesterday when he was leader with the spotlight on him, but he's already two-under today and looks in the mood if he can just keep his big booming hits straight.
2030 : Like Casey, Tiger is out at with the driver at two but overcooks it and bounds through into the bunker at the back of the green leaving himself an awful stance from which he can only really play out sideways to avoid running off the green. Vijay taps home a birdie on six to move back to eight-over. American trio Furyk, Verplank and Watson are all one shot better off on seven-over currently...
2025 : Casey cannot get down in two. It's a couple of pars to start, he probably would have taken that in all truth, but he'll feel he deserved at least one birdie after his efforts. Rose has encountered all sorts of problems at three after charging through the green and ends up with a double-bogey six on his card. Cabrera birdies four to move to five-over and then sends his wedge to three or four foot at five for another birdie chance... he could have a share of the lead in the next few minutes.
2018 : Dear oh dear oh dear... Baddeley has endured the start he could only have foreseen in his worst nightmares, he managed to take seven, yes seven, at the first after his a clumsy chip and a three-putt. In the blink of an eye he's back to five-over and Tiger, who makes par at the first, leads the tournament along with Ames. Who would have predicted a start like that?!
2012 : He was level with Rose anyway, but that has now changed as the Englishman makes up for his bogey at the first with a fine birdie three at the second. Casey will be kicking himself for spurning that birdie chance at one, but has set up another after driving the green at the second in spectacular fashion. Tricky second for him down a lightening quick green, but he'll expect to get down in two.
2009 : Swede Niclas Fasth has enjoyed an cracking 4-3-4 start to stand six-over after three. His birdie at the second came via a wonderfully-judged chip in from off the green, he's in the mix and level with Rose and Cabrera now.
2008 : The Tiger is off and opens with a monstrous drive of 334 yards that bisects the fairway. Inevitably there is a huge and vociferous crowd following him, but that shot really did merit the noise. Leader Baddeley sends his drive quite a way right and will have a difficult time getting on from there...
2002 : Casey conjures a quite magical iron at the first which pitches and then spins to a halt as if by magic on its second bounce around six feet from the hole. Deserved a birdie but the Englishman cannot sink the putt, leaving it on the high side. Playing partner Ames shows him how it should be done from longer range and opens with a birdie three, he's up to four-over.
1955 : A confident-looking Paul Casey steps on to the first tee and is immediately out with the driver. He finds the first cut down the left, a little bit of an awkward lie but a decent line in. Can Casey be the man to end the European drought in majors?
1952 : Rose's playing partner Bubba Watson is never a man for convention and he opts to take the putter at the first despite being some 60 yards from the hole! Not a bad effort but it it has a little too much speed and trundles off the back. Bad news for Rose, he three-putts and starts with a bogey, still better than Bubba who can only manage a six... not the start either will have wanted.
1948 : Justin Rose finds very thick rough some way left off the first fairway, but produces a miraculous recovery shot which skips its way down the steep fairway and keeps running all the way on to the green, stopping some 25/30 feet from the hole. Excellent result for Justin, he could not really have done any better from there.
1942 : Nick Dougherty has responded in fine style to that bogey on two with successive birdies at four and five. He simply refuses to go away and has fought his way back up to eight-over now. Swashbuckling Argentine Angel Cabrera has opened with a par to remain +6.
1937 : Lee Westwood has finished his tournament with a 72, ending +18 for the week. He still looked in contention at the halfway stage but a miserable 79 yesterday killed off his chances, but there are some definite signs that he's rediscovering something like his form of three or four years ago. Kennie Ferrie also comes home with a 72 today to finish +19.
1931 : Hometown boy Jim Furyk is on the tee, he's playing with Steve Stricker who was the only man besides Tiger to duck under par yesterday. Both are off and running with sound enough three-woods, finding the first cut on either side of the fairway.
1928 : Vijay manages to locate the greenside bunker having gone straight for the putting surface from the tee at the second, but he produces a wonderfully imaginative shot from the sand to set up birdie. He threw it some way up the green and then watched on as it weaved its way down the hill towards the hole, stopping some four feet away. I think there might even have been the merest hint of a smile from big Vijay there... it won't have lasted long though as he proceeds to miss the putt! Good chance gone.
1925 : American Jerry Kelly has taken advantage of the short second to record a birdie three and in doing so has crept up to seven-over. That's level with Swede Niclas Fasth who opens with a respectable par having left himself an awkward up and down. His playing David Toms contrives to miss an absolute tiddler for par, that's been the story of his week... missed chances. He's immediately back to eight-over.
1915 : Vijay has opened with a par, a very decent effort that given that he found thick rough with his drive. The big Fijian is not completely out of it at +8 and will fancy his chances of birdie at the par-four second which has been shortened to just 307 yards today. You can guarantee the likes of Bubba Watson and Angel Cabrera will fancy having a crack at it off the tee.
1909 : Dougherty has dropped one at three after leaving himself a lengthy putt for par so he's back to ten-over. For those of you out there who like to know what Poults is wearing, and there are plenty, let me inform you he has opted for a pastel pink shirt and shoes and white trousers and visor. Fairly conservative after his bumble-bee look yesterday. I believe he was trying to drum up some home support by sporting the colours of the local American football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of secondary importance obviously, he's two-over today through five holes and +13 for the tournament.
1900 : American youngster Anthony Kim has shown just what can be done today, he's rolled in a 40-footer on 18 for birdie to complete a fantastic round of 67. Five birdies and only two bogeys, cracking effort... I'm sure plenty of the later starters will be looking on enviously.
1846 : Dougherty makes his par at the first courtesy of a fine ten-foot putt. He scrambled well yesterday and seems ready for more of the same today, let's hope he can secure a top-20 finish at least, that would be an excellent result for the Englishman. Pettersson has birdied the relatively-short par-four second and is back to level-par for his round and nine-over for the tournament.
1842 : Luke reckons that Tiger had his chance yesterday but didn't take advantage of what was a superlative display tee-to-green as he missed too many putts. He thinks Stephen Ames or Jim Furyk might be the men to emerge from field. I've got to say that I like Ames, I think he's a real dark horse here. He had an excellent round yesterday barring his double-bogey at seven. He hits it straight and has proved he can win big by taking the Players' last year, so the Canadian could be one to keep an eye on...
1836 : Nick Dougherty has just teed off and found the thick rough down the left of the first fairway. As we've seen all week he'll be struggling to make par now, but it's been a fine few days for the young Liverpudlian and he showed real character and no little talent yesterday as he went round with Tiger and was unlucky not to find himself better off than +9 come the end of the day.
1834 : Graeme McDowell has dropped one at the first so is back to +11 and it's the same story for big Swede Carl Pettersson who is +10 after a five at the first. Pettersson really looked capable of challenging yesterday but just tailed off towards the end of his round to ruin his hopes. Ian Poulter is also off and running but has bogeyed both two and three to fall back to +13 for the tournament.
1828 : Lee Westwood is out on the course and is level-par for his round today through 13 holes and +16 for the tournament, Kennie Feerie has just one hole of his final round to go and is two-over for the day and +19 overall, that's just one shot worse off than both Jose Maria Olazabal and defending champion Geoff Ogilvy. The Australian has had an ultimately disappointing weekend, but did come agonisingly close to a hole-in-one today as his immaculate tee-shot at six struck the pin full in the face and bounced out...
1825 : Of the early starters out on the course today one or two are proving that low scores will be possible today. Anthony Kim (+15), JJ Henry (+13) and Boo Weekley (+13) are all under-par for today's round so birdies are once again on offer...
1820 : David has mailed in already, he's backing Tiger to break his 'not winning a major from behind on the final day' hoodoo. Anyone else out there got any views on who's going to walk away with the title?
1805 : Australian Aaron Baddeley leads the way on two-over, two shots clear of world number one Tiger Woods who will be his playing partner in the final pairing. However, two Englishman are just a shot further adrift at five-over - can either Paul Casey or Justin Rose become the first man from these shores to win the US Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970? All shall soon be revealed...
1800 : Good evening and welcome to skysports.com's live text commentary of the final round of the 107th US Open at Oakmont. We're all set up for what promises to be a fascinating finale with the leaders scheduled to go out at around 8pm GMT.

















0040 : Well that concludes our commentary for tonight and things are set up intriguingly for tomorrow's final round. I look forward to your company then, but for now, Goodnight one and all.
0035 : Cabrera can't sink his par-putt and finishes with successive bogeys, he's now six-over and four adrift of our leader Aaron Baddeley. Bubba taps in for his par at the last and, it has to be said, has held himself together pretty well over the back nine to come home with a 74. How he must regret that 7 at nine, if it wasn't for that he'd now be in a tie for the lead rather than three off the lead on five-over.
0030 : Cabrera drops one at 17 after yet another wayward drive and the furniture lets him down again on 18 and he hooks it wildly right into a ditch. Hacks out and a sand wedge for his third gives him a chance of a par. He's great to watch the big Argentine, but you just feel he doesn't give himself the best chance of winning tournaments as he's so cavalier and wild at times.
0025 : After driving into sand, Rose can do no better than a bogey-five at the last for a round of 73 which leaves him on five-over. He'll be frustrated by that bogey, but the saves that preceded it means things could have been much worse and he's still handily-placed. But it's partner Baddeley that steals the show as he guarantees himself a two-shot lead going into the final round with another quite beautiful putt to secure a finishing birdie. He's a class act and that three will give him real momentum going into Sunday's round in which he will be in the last pairing with Tiger.


0016 : A lovely second to the last gives Fasth the chance to end on a real high, but he cannot convert and ends the day seven-over... that's a couple further back than he really should have been. Ames found sand with his first and, having lofted out, then saw his third spin way back off the green. He managed to get down in two with a very brave putt and, at five-over, will be in amongst the runners and riders tomorrow.
0010 : Paul Casey holds his nerve to finish with a couple of pars and at five-over will be right in the thick of it tomorrow. Baddeley and Rose contrive to make a bit of a meal of the 310-yard par-four 17th, both men could easily have reached the hole in one strike but opted to lay up and both found trouble. However, the duo somehow escape with pars apiece, Rose holing yet another clutch putt that could be so crucial come tomorrow evening.
0005 : Cabrera can't provide the putt his wonderful tee-shot at the 16th deserves as a genuine birdie opportunity evades him. He only needed a five-iron to send it those 230 yards by the way.
0001 : It's a disappointing end for Carl Pettersson who had looked so good for so long. The Swede finished bogey-bogey-bogey to drop back to nine-over and looks to have left himself too much to do to challenge on Sunday now. Countryman Fasth has also had a bit of a wretched run over the last few holes, dropping four shots between the 13th and 16th, although he has steadied the ship with a par at 17.
2355 : A deflated looking Bubba drops one at 15 and, judging by his demeanour, he might take a while to get over that very ill-advised display on nine. He's back to five-over. Rose's charge continues on 16, he had it all on to escape with par after finding the sand, but potted a very testing 20-footer to achieve just that. He's another closer to the lead as well with Baddeley dropping his second shot in two holes, no-one seems to want to stay out in front.
2346 : Baddeley surrenders one of his three-shot lead after a snap hook and a low-flying slice find thick rough and then sand at the 500-yard par-four 15th. Still nearly makes par with another good-looking putt, but it's a five and he's back to two-over. Big hitters Bubba and Angel are getting a little scruffy in the final pairing but continue to deliver pars despite rarely taking the conventional route and are both still on four-over.
2339 : Graeme McDowell has holed his second at the par-four 17th and that drags him back to 10-over... fighting stuff from the Northern Irishman who has enjoyed a productive week. Ames shows we're getting towards the business end of things as he pumps fist repeatedly after saving par with a brave 10-footer at 15.
2330 : Casey gives back that birdie immediately with a bogey at 16 after locating more sand, but Rose makes it two in a row with another nicely-judged putt at 14. He's now joined the ranks at four-over and will be looking to close in on playing partner Baddeley over the final four holes.
2323 : A super round ends on a sour note for Tiger as his par-putt on 18 meanders past on the low side for the first and only bogey of his round. He's still broken par, though and you can't help but feel that any man who finishes above Tiger tomorrow will win the thing. Dougherty ends with another bogey, that's four shots dropped over the final four holes, an unfortunate conclusion for the young Englishman who heads to teh scorer's hut on nine-over.
2315 : Baddeley rolls home smoothly and is now two clear. The 26-year-old Aussie has got a silky putting stroke and that is a must-have here if you harbour serious ambitions of winning. Playing partner Justin Rose follows him down in two from further out and the Englishman is back to five-over.
2311 : Tiger is 17 for 17 of greens in regulation today and his driving has been nigh on impeccable... but that has just changed at 18 as he blocks one way right and into sand. He had looked primed for a bogey-free round - and that would have been incredible around this course - but faces an uphill struggle for par now. Meanwhile, a wonderful iron from Baddeley leaves him eight foot for birdie at 13 and a chance to extend his lead.
2308 : Casey could not make par at 13, but responds in fine style with a birdie at the 14th to reinvigorate his challenge... things were just getting a little ragged for him. It's not such good news for two other Europeans as Dougherty and Fasth both make double-bogeys within the space of a minute to fall back to five and eight-over par respectively, big shame for both.
2304 : Tiger comfortably drives the green at the 310-yard par-four 17th, but his accuracy is not rewarded as the ball scampers through the green and into a horrible rough on a downslope. All he can do it is bump it out and it'll be 20 foot downhill for birdie and the lead. Once again, he can't hole a putt and instead it is Baddeley who seizes the lead as he follows his birdie at ten with another at 12 and the Australian is now two-over.
2257 : Fasth just fails with a long birdie putt on 12, it would have taken him into the outright lead but just swerved away from the hole at the death. Casey's troubles continue at the par-three 13 and he's struggling to make par after finding the sand with his tee-shot. Stephen Ames has just knocked in a birdie at 12 and the Canadian moves to within one of the lead, he's definitely a dark horse having proved he has the temprament to win big at the Players' last year.
2250 : Local boy Jim Furyk has just had a very significant few minutes. The 2003 champion was on the fringes of things at eight-over, but rolled in a confident birdie putt at 17 and followed it with a spectacular iron to four feet at the last. He drains the putt and that's a 70 which takes him to six-over, three shots off the current pace but a share of the clubhouse lead and you can be certain he'll have plenty of support on his side tomorrow.
2245 : I've put the kiss of death on Pettersson, he managed a bogey six at the monster 12th and followed it with another at the 13th. Just as got right up there he's slipped back, that's been the case for numerous players today.
2240 : Chris is another who would like to know why the world and his dog seem to be sporting blue shirts today... I racking my brain but still have no answer for you Chris, must just be the colour du jour out there today. Nick Dougherty drops one at 15 and he's now level with Rose and Stricker on six-over, but still only one-over for his round and will be looking for a solid finish now.
2236 : Cabrera can't get up and down from close range on the tenth and drops a shot meaning we now have a four-way tie for the lead on three-over. The Argentine, Niclas Fasth, Aaaron Baddeley and some bloke called Tiger Woods. To his credit Bubba makes a solid par, no mean feat after his antics at the ninth.
2228 : Pettersson is still progressing nicely, he missed a 12-footer for birdie at 11, but is still level-par for his round and in a tie for fifth on four-over. Australian Aaron Baddeley is alos going about his business in quietly, efficient style and shows a touch of real class to hole a massively-breaking short putt on ten for birdie which takes him to three-over and a share of second. Playing partner Rose drops another, though, and he desperatley needs to steady the ship having dropped back to six-over.
2225 : Niclas Fasth makes a superb birdie three at ten and is now in a share of second with the Tiger on three-over, the Swede is really refusing to go away. Casey is just getting a little ragged though and a three-putt at 11 means it's three bogeys in four holes and he's suddenly back to four-over in the blink of an eye.
2218 : Bubba Watson has just had a meltdown... there's no other word for it. Having found the thick rough next to the green at nine from the perfect fairway lie he let his frustration get the better of him after moving his attempted chip only a couple of yards forward. Within fifteen seconds he takes a second swipe at it and sends it spiralling off the other side of the green. It's another chip and two putts from there and a triple-bogey seven... he could well have just thrown away his chances of victory through a fit of pique. Cabrera makes a par and now leads on two-over with mad old Bubba back to four-over.
2214 : Justin Rose has just lacked the sharpness of his previous two rounds today and lets another slip through his fingers at nine as he misses from no more than two feet for par. He's still in there but could do with a good back nine.
2204 : Bubba produces a miraculous up-and-down to retain his lead after finding sand at the eighth and Cabrera matches it to stay just one behind. Casey cannot convert a real birdie chance at 10 and remains locked together with Tiger who sees another putt just slide by. The world number one really has been at something like his very best today, he's hit 12 out of thirteen fairways and every single green in regulation. The rest of the field must be pleased his putter has been his worst club so far today.
2156 : Olly is home with a second successive 78, he looked relieved just to have made the cut yesterday and might now be wishing he hadn't bothered having slipped to 16-over. That's the same score as Westwood but poor old Lee still has six holes to play, he's already nine-over for today. Graeme McDowell has also come unstuck a bit with a 6 at ninth and 5 at the tenth, he's dropped back to 10-over.
2153 : It's a two-shot swing at the seventh and we have a new leader in the form of Bubba Watson. Cabrera is errant yet again off the tee and cannot salvage a par as his putt misses from eight feet. Watson uses his incredible length to cover the 477 yards with a driver and a sand wedge... yes, a sand wedge! He rolls in the putt and moves to one-over. Just to give you some idea how far this fella hits it, he drove it 370 yards uphill at the second hole, unreal.
2147 : Vijay finishes with a bogey and after another of those putts he really should have made. It's a level-par 70 and he's eight-over which will probably be just a shade too far away to challenge. The USGA have set the course up so that decent scores are possible today and a handful of men should break par.
2141 : Steve Stricker produces the first sub-par round of the day and achieves it some style as he holes his third from distance on 18 to seal a 68. He was the 36-hole leader at Winged Foot last year and has put himself in with a shout for tomorrow's final round on six-over now. Stephen Ames has had a half-hour to forget with a bogey at six followed by a double at seven and the Canadian is now back to five-over. Nick Dougherty is holding his form admirably and sinks a teasing putt for birdie at 11 to head back to five-over. Tiger is still three-over after seven successive pars.
2135 : Another wayward effort off the tee leaves Cabrera in what looks a simply awful spot on the edge of a bunker at the short sixth, but the burly Argentine shows he is not all brute force as he defies an impossible stance to dink a delicate chip to within six feet. Criminally he then misses the par putt though so he's back to one-over. Casey manages to drop one at eight after leaving his tee shot short right of the green and is joined at two-under by Fasth whose delicious approach at seven sets up a tap-in birdie.
2130 : Casey's playing partner Tom Pernice Jr comes agonising close to a hole-in-one at the monster 280-yard par-three 8th. His fairway Woods draws perfectly to land and roll up the green, shaving the hole before coming to rest five feet away... tremendous shot. At seven-over he's one of a host of Americans still very much in the hunt, a quick run-down of some others includes Chad Campbell (+7), Steve Stricker (+7), Jerry Kelly (+6) and Jim Furyk (+6)
2125 : Casey is back on the birdie trail at seven as he reads the putt that Tiger failed to in fine style. It creeps up to the hole and drops in to move the Englishman instantly back to one-over. Vijay makes it back-to-back birdies on 17 and is now seven-over, while Rose, who dropped another shot at six, shows tremendous courage to sink an important 12-footer for par at seven. He needed that one...
2120 : Cabrera two-putts from range at four to secure birdie and move back into the lead at level-par, but Bubba - having reached the rough on the front left of the green in two - somehow contrives to take four from no distance at all really and the Argentine's lead is two strokes.
2115 : Nick Dougherty comes agonisingly close to holing his chipped third on the ninth but somehow it refuses to drop despite taking a very good look at the hole. He's out in 36 and that is certainly no disgrace, Tiger is out in 33 and has played simply beautifully so far... if his putter had been running shot he could be at least two shots better off.
2110 : Casey did make bogey at five, but it could have been worse and he's still under-par for today. A terrific iron on seven sets up a birdie for David Toms and he's back to four-over. Vijay makes the first birdie of the day ay the par-three 16th to return to level-par for his round, while Ames and Pettersson are both still progressing serenely at level-par for their respective rounds.
2105 : Rose has gone some way to alleviating his poor start by making birdie at four as does playing partner Baddeley so they are three and two-over respectively. Cabrera managed to drop one at three so he's now back to one-over and in a tie for the lead with playing partner Bubba Watson. However, both men will have an excellent chance of birdie at four with their length.
2055 : After a fantastic start Casey is in big trouble at five having found sand with his drive and then very thick rough with his second, looks like a bogey at best. Tiger just misses with a massive birdie putt that kisses the hole on its way by on eight, while Rose sees another slip though his grasp on three so he's back to four-over. Niclas Fasth endured a miserable start but he's put everything right with a superb eagle three at four and in one fell swoop, excuse the pun, he's suddenly back to two-over.
2047 : Poults has had his trials and tribulations today, but England's sharpish dresser finishes with a superb birdie three for a very, very creditable round of 72. That leaves him 11-over but should definitely secure him a later start time tomorrow as not too many will better 72 today.
2043 : Tiger is at it again, he's given himself a decent birdie chance at virtually every hole today and the seventh is no different. However, he sends another putt just past on the high side and stays at three-over. That's now two back of Casey who, like Woods, easily reaches the fourth in two to set up eagle, but takes a steady two to secure birdie instead. Excellent start from the Englishman, surely not another 66 on the cards?
2036 : The third has been shortened to a 325-yard par-four today and it's no surprise to see both Bubba and Cabrera fancying a crack at it with their drivers. Both easily have the distance but find the rough on either side, it's about the short game now.
2033 : There are still plenty of big names struggling to come to terms with Oakmont, defending champion Geoff Ogilvy has reached the turn in 41 to fall back to 12-over, Westwood took 40 to the turn and is also 12-over, while Olly is eight-over through 16 and 16-over for the tournament. Things have gone from bad to worse for poor old Lee, he's now taken a triple-bogey seven at 10 to fall to 15-over... oh dear, things had seemed quite promising for him overnight.
2032 : Dougherty three-putted at five so he's back to six-over, the same score as Graeme McDowell who, after a bogey at the first, has strung together four pars. Vijay is still going along steadily, he made bogey at 11, but is still level-par for his round and eight-over for the tournament.


2027 : Niclas Fasth has endured a start he would have been dreading with a pair of fives dropping him straight back to four-over. It's better news for his barrel-cheasted compatriot Carl Pettersson, he's followed two opening pars with a birdie at three to move into a share of sixth at three-over. There are still plenty of Europeans at the right end of the leaderboard.
2026 : Rose pays for that wayward drive in the end as he can do no better than a bogey at the first despite a valiant par-putt from just off the back edge of the green. Playing partner Baddeley makes his par. Jim Furyk is making something of a move, he bogeyed the first to fall back to six-over, but a birdie at four and three consecutive threes from the sixth mean he is now one-under for his round and into the top ten on five-over.
2020 : The final pairing, Bubba Watson and Angel Cabrera, are on the first tee and both have drivers in their hands - stand back, there could be some fireworks here... these two sens the ball ridiculous distances. Both find rough though, so the pair of them will be struggling for par now.
2016 : Casey is at it again, a swashbuckling drive at the second allows him just a dinked wedge to the green and, having left eight feet, he takes full advantage as he rolls in the putt to climb to two-over - just the start he would have hoped for. Tiger just fails with his birdie putt, leaving it fractionally on the high side.
2015 : David Toms dropped one at the first, but bounces back well with a three at the third and he's back to four-over again. He's been in the mix all week and perhaps should be a little better off than he is having thrown away some cheap shots. However, it's all about Tiger at the moment as he spins in another exemplary iron to ten feet to set up a birdie opportunity at five.
2008 : Justin Rose tees off and gets a very fortunate early break as his ball, which was destined for the trees way right, strikes a spectator on the bounce and remains in bounds and on a half-decent lie at first viewing.
2002 : Two monstrous strikes from Tiger leave him 25 foot for eagle at the 609-yard par-five fourth and he comes within a whisker of draining it. It just stays out and it's 'only' a par for the great man. What a start from the world number one, two-under through four and he really looks like he means business. Dougherty matches him with a very respectable birdie of his own at four and he's back to level-par for the round. That putt at the second really was vital for his confidence and he now looks to be enjoying himself.
1954 : Paul Casey has teed off and teed off in style with a majestic clout of his driver that split the first fairway. His second lands some 20-25 feet to the left of the hole so he'll have that for an opening three.
1951 : Could Tiger be on the march? He followed two pars with a birdie at three - comfortably his best start of the week. More importantly he looks to be hitting it much straighter from the tee, he managed to hit only five fairways yesterday but he put all three down the middle today although his second did manage to find a rogue bunker. Worrying signs for his rivals. Playing partner Dougherty holes another important par putt and looks at home in this esteemed company.
1946 : Ian Poulter is having a steadyish day, he's dropped three through 12 holes and now stands 12-over. However, there's nothing routine about Poults' outfit today, he looks like a human bumble-bee with black shoes, yellow trousers, black shirt and yellow cap.
1945 : Graeme McDowell, as so many others have, opens with a bogey at the first so he's straight back to six-over. Lee Westwood has dropped another so he's back to nine-over through six, while Olly's had a pretty miserable day to date... he's had five bogeys and a double-bogey over the course of his first 11 holes and has slid way back to 14-over.
1942 : It's hot at Oakmont today, probably as hot as it's been all week which would suggest that, once again, those out early will have the best of the conditions with these unforgiving greens only likely to get harder as the day progresses.
1940 : Dougherty sinks a testing ten-footer for par and hopefully that will give his round lift-off after a scrappy opening hole. Tiger makes his two-putt for par, while Vijay is to the turn in 34 (one-under) after another par at nine, was nearly a birdie as his 20-footer just drifted wide at the last, but he'll be satisfied with his front nine.
1931 : American Jerry Kelly drains a decent putt at two meaning he's now only four-over, the best-placed of any player currently out on the course. Tiger has found the bunker with his drive at two meaning he has to play for the centre of the green. The slope towards the front then trundles the ball a further few feet back and he's left with a lengthy two-putt for par.
1924 : Australian Nick O'Hern has managed no fewer than four birdies in his round today. He's had two bogeys also, but having picked up shots at 10, 12 and 14 he's back to eight-over and demonstrating it is possible to break par here.
1920 : Having produced an approach to match his drive, Tiger was left with a 20 footer across the green for birdie, but it stays up and he'll have to settle for par. Dougherty, despite a fine third, cannot finish off from six feet and opens with a bogey, in the process moving back to six-over.
1915 : Leslie wants to know why so many players seem to be wearing light blue shirts today... it's a question I can't answer I'm afraid Leslie, I'm going to plump for co-incidence, unless some opportunist punter has set up a stall at the course entrance and is selling a job lot to the players as they arrive. Anyone else got any ideas?
1911 : Spoke too soon, Vijay has blotted his copybook and missed that par putt on seven, he's back to seven-over and will be kicking himself... hard.
1910 : Tiger is on the tee and playing with first-round leader Nick Dougherty today. The world number one has done well to remain in contention as he's blazed the ball all over the place in the first couple of rounds, it just shows how he gets everything possible out of every round he plays. He's out with the driver and starts with a cracker, straight down the middle... could that be a sign of things to come? Dougherty is not as accurate and will face a nasty second from some horrendous-looking rough down the left.
1908 : Westwood dropped one at the second and then misses a very presentable birdie chance at the par-five fourth. Still it's not a bad start from the Worksop lad who is only eight-over.
1900 : Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy was another to surrender one at the first so he's back to seven-over, but Vijay produces more magic at the seventh as a delightful chip from the thick rough just in front of the green sits down as if by magic three feet from the hole. That should be another par.
1853 : Vijay holes a very satisfying par putt at the par-three six, that one would have felt like a birdie and keeps his excellent start going. He's never exactly a barrel of laughs, but big Vijay must be beaming on the inside following these opening six holes... can he do a Casey?
1851 : Local boy Jim Furyk is off and underway and at six-over cannot be discounted. He hits it consistently straight and that is what's important around this place. However... a rather timid chip from the fringe of the first green leaves a testing par putt that he cannot sink and the 2003 champion is one shot down straight away.
1845 : The day's big mover is currently Vijay Singh, he follows his birdie at two with another at five courtesy of a superb mid-iron to about six feet. He taps in the resulting putt and is back to six-over - the big Fijian is right in amongst it.
1842 : Steve Stricker shows the best way to make birdies around this place is to take putting out of the equation as he chips in from off the green at the par-five fourth for a four, he's now seven-over.
1835 : Ernie Els is back to 12-over, but dropping only three shots to the turn is not that bad a front nine. Fellow South African Tim Clark did not make a birdie during his first two rounds but still made the cut as he finished eight-over after 36 holes. However, he has already made two in his first six holes today, along with one bogey, and is back to seven-over.
1830 : As if to demonstrate the point about the greens Pablo Martin watches a three-foot par putt on two clip the edge of the hole and then roll on to a downslope and some 40 feet away from the hole. That's exactly the kind of thing that can happen if you are too aggressive, but on the flip-side if you're too cautious it's hard to make any putts at all.
1828 : Westwood is on the cautious side with his birdie putt, which is probably for the best given these greens, so he walks away from the first with an opening par-four. The USGA have watered some of the greens overnight in a bid to ensure they remain "fair". The 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th and 13th have all received some water, but don't let that fool you too much, they will still be perilous and low scores will certainly not be prevalent.
1815 : Lee Westwood has teed off and produces a delightful approach to the first, that'll be an early birdie chance for the Englishman who, given his excellent recent form, will still believe he has a chance at only seven-over.
1805 : Of the earlier starters Ian Poulter has made a birdie and a bogey to be level-par through five holes and nine-over for tournament, Jose Maria Olazabal has dropped two shots over the course of his first four holes so he is back to ten-over, while it's been a good start for Vijay Singh who rolled in a lengthy old putt on the second to climb back to seven-over.
1800 : Good afternoon/evening and welcome to skysports.com's live text commentary of the third round of the 107th US Open at Oakmont. Yesterday was most memorable for Paul Casey's spectacular round of 66 on a course that just seems to be getting more and more fierce, let's see what today's action throws up...
1500 : Live text commentary of the third round from Oakmont will begin at 6pm.











0045 : Peter Hanson also pars the last to complete a respectable round of 74. Like Tiger the Swede is five-over and amongst the runners and riders for the weekend. That concludes our coverage for tonight... be sure to join us from 6pm tomorrow as the leaders head out for their third round at Oakmont. Goodnight.
0030 : Fasth makes a par down the last for another impressive 71. He's two-over along with Rose, Ames and Baddeley and will be delighted with his form.
0015 : Cabrera taps home for his birdie and the cut will fall at ten-over. The Argentine is the only man not over-par at the halfway stage and will be in the last group with Bubba Watson on Saturday. Verplank is home with a 71 to finish on four-over, but Hanson has lost a couple and has dropped back to five-over.
0010 : Cabrera, following an enormous drive at nine, produces a truly wonderful nine-iron that stops no further than a foot from the hole. It's a guaranteed birdie and will lift him back to level-par, securing him the halfway lead. It's not such good news for those on 11-over - amongst them Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald and Thomas Bjorn - who now look certain to miss the cut on the ten-shot rule.
0002 : Verplank, after looking like making birdie at 17, somehow three putts and ends up with a bogey to fall back to four-over. He recovers well, though, and leaves himself with 20 feet for a three down the last.
2355 : Tiger can't capitalise on his fantastic five-iron and will have to settle for a par and a 74. Once again he's had to grind it out and rely on his short-game, but he's more than capable of doing that and is still there or thereabouts. Ogilvy narrowly fails to save his par after a trip to the sand and finishes with a 75... he's six-over.
2351 : David Toms finishes with a bogey for a second consecutive 72, four-over is an excellent halfway total but the American will know he could and should have done better both days.
2352 : Tiger leaves himself with a presentable birdie chance at nine to finish on a high... Verplank misses a gilt-edged chance to climb to two-over at 17 as he misses from eight feet, he'll rue that.
2345 : Olly gets up and down in two at the last but it's only for a bogey to complete a round of 78. He'll be here for the weekend and still not completely out of it, but his expression let's the spectators know just how tough it has been out there.
2339 : Ames tidies up nicely on the last and becomes only the second man of the day to break par with a 69. He's two-over for the tournament and very handily placed.
2334 : Scott Verplank has moved stealthily to three-over after sinking a 15-footer on 16.
2330 : Harrington plays the best approach of the day to 18 to set up what should be a birdie, but it's too little too late for the Irishman who is fourteen-over. Monty's championship is over and it's been a dismal one, scores of 76 and 82 mean he ends on 18-over... massively disappointing after his efforts last year and on a course that was expected to suit him.
2324 : Graeme McDowell is home with an excellent 72, he's just five-over and right in amongst it. Overnight leader Dougherty also finishes on that score after a 77, but in truth he played much better than that and was just unfortunate not to make a few more putts.
2318 : Tiger pays for another wayward drive on seven and a bogey drops him back to five-over. Meanwhile, Toms three-putts 16 to fall back to three-over.
2310 : Cabrera misses from no more than three feet and suddenly is back in a tie for the lead, this time with Bubba Watson at one-over. Careless error from the big Argentine. Niclas Fasth had dropped back to three-over with a six at 12, but responds with birdie two at the next to return to two-over.
2301 : We have a new clubhouse leader as Bubba Watson taps home for a 71 and an overall total of one-over. It's a great effort from the long-hitting American left-hander and he looks certain to be in the final group tomorrow.
2255 : Tiger reads his birdie putt to perfection and claws his way back to four-over. Scottish amateur Richie Ramsay, playing with Woods, has strung together two successive birdies to climb back to 11-over and now has a realistic chance of making the cut.
2254 : Cabrera makes a par five at four and is now in sole possession of the lead following Toms' tribulations at 14. Tiger reminds us of his class with a cracking iron to the par-three sixth to set up a birdie that his challenge could really do with.
2249 : Cabrera was in so much trouble he hacked out on to the adjacent fifth fairway even though he's playing the fourth! But he produces a wonderful third to the centre of the green and sets up what would be the most unlikely birdie of the week. Toms is not so fortunate and ends up taking a six at the 352-yard par four 14th. He's back to two-over. Meanwhile defending champion Geoff Ogilvy has made three straight birdies to force his way back to four-over.
2240 : Dougherty can do no better than bogey at six to slide back to four-over. If Toms was wayward with his tee-shot at 14 then Cabrera was more or less out of control with his driver at the par-five fourth as he leaks one way right into all sorts of overgrown rough. Bubba Watson could soon find himself as leader of this thing without doing anything.
2236 : Ames can only make bogey at 14, but he'll take it after an awful drive into sand from which he had to play out sideways - he's two-over. Hanson sinks a tremendous long-range putt for par at 10 and the Swede looks determined to hang in there. Toms, having just claimed a share of the lead, makes the criminal mistake of finding the thick rough of the tee at 14... and with an iron!
2234 : Cabrera pays for a wayward drive at 3 and ends up making a decent two-putt to escape with a bogey. It means he is now tied for the lead with Toms on level-par and once again no-one is in red figures.

2224 : Dougherty has strung together a couple of pars to remain at three-over, but is in bother at the par-three sixth after dragging his tee-shot left into the thick rough that surrounds the green... it will be a real struggle to make par from there.
2221 : Swedish duo Niclas Fasth and Peter Hanson are still both very much in the hunt... both are now at two-over, although Fasth will currently be the happier as he drains a 40 footer on 10 for birdie while Hanson has to content himself with a bogey on nine.
2219 : Tiger's out with the driver on the 12th tee but must have wish he hadn't bothered as a hook flies straight into the massive 'church pew' bunkers leaving him with a very awkward second. Ames dropped one at 12 and narrowly misses a birdie putt at 13 so he stays at one-over.
2211 : Paul has written in to say he has a tenner each way on Stephen Ames at 100/1. I say... lucky boy! He's playing very smoothly and when he gets in the groove he's got the game to win big tournaments as he proved at the Players' a couple of years back.
2206 : Graeme McDowell has gone about his business very efficiently today and a birdie three at 14 means he's crept back up to four-over... that's level with the Tiger amongst others. Padraig's day goes from bad to worse with an eight at the par-five 12th, he's now a lowly 14-over. Cabrera plays a lovely little iron to the second to set up a dcent birdie chance.
2158 : Olly has dropped another to fall back to five-over, while a double-bogey six at 18 means Luke Donald now stands at nine-over. Things aren't getting any easier for Dougherty who misses an excellent birdie chance at four. David Toms makes one of a similar length on 11 and the American moves to level-par. He is rapidly joined by Ames who also picks up a shot at 11.
2150 : Typically Tiger holds his nerve to walk away with an excellent bogey... if there is such a thing. He's four-over now. Peter Hanson narrowly fails with a birdie putt at eight, but it's another par and the unassuming Swede is going along swimmingly at one-over.
2142 : Fasth's par putt slides by at eight so he's back to three-over, while Tiger has found all sorts of trouble at two as an attempted punched eight iron fails to fly and finds incredibly thick rough in a ditch hazard. He hacks out without penalty but finds the greenside bunker. However, we probably shouldn't be surprised as he produces a wonderful bunker shot to give himself every chance of dropping just one shot when anything looked possible after his fluffed second.
2135 : Padraig is now really struggling to make the cut after following his 7 with a bogey five and a double-bogey six. He's 11-over now and the cut is currently predicted to fall at around ten-over. Monty appears to have no chance of making it now as a horrendous run of 5,7,5,6 around the turn has left him on 16-over... he will want this to be over as quickly as possible now.
2130 : Despite a fine chip, Dougherty drops another as he pulls another putt wide on the low side. The Englishman is beginning to drop like a stone, has he got anything left?
2123 : Dougherty's in more trouble at the third as he sends his approach bounding through the green - he could well drop another. Leader Cabrera will perhaps be a little disappointed to leave 17, his eighth, with only a par after all but driving the par-four's green. He's still two clear though. A word for Graeme McDowell who is going along nicley at five-over having played 12 today, Olly has steadied the ship also and is four-over...
2116 : Another one drifts through Dougherty's clutches at the second as his par-putt grazes the hole. He needs to cling on now, he's still okay at two-over but it's beginning to get a little ragged. A birdie three for Peter Hanson at five sends the Swede back to one-over, but Cabrera has opened a two-shot lead now with a birdie of his own at seven. We spoke to soon about Tiger, he takes three to get down and a bogey five means he has now slipped back to three-over having gone out in 37.
2110 : Ames will be kicking himself... hard. He's managed to miss that tiddler at nine for birdie and, although he's out in 33 and in great shape, that was an opportunity he really should have taken.
2108 : Tiger demonstrates his incredible strength at the 18th as somehow he digs his ball out of the thick rough to fly it almost 200 yards to the fringe of the green. The ball could hardly have been visible yet he bullied up to the green and, with his short game, has every chance of escaping with par.
2106 : Donald has dropped one at 16 to fall back to seven-over, while Harrington could just have put paid to his hopes with a treble-bogey seven at 9... he's eight-over now and it'll be a long way back from that.
2102 : Ames really is in a rich vein of form and could trouble Casey's 66 at this rate as he fires an absolutely wonderful long iron to no more than three feet on nine, he'll have that for a share of the tournament lead on level-par.
2057 : Ogilvy endures the kind of bunker horror that every club player is all too familiar with as he succeeds only in sending it backwards on the short par-four 17th. Looks like he'll surrender another one at least, but Canadian Stephen Ames is steaming the other way up the leaderboard, he's two-under for the day after a very rare birdie two at eight and joins the tie for second on one-over.
2049 : Dougherty plays a nice approach to the first, his tenth, and will have a chance for birdie. But we now have a sole leader of the event as both Browne and Toms drop shots to leave Argentine Angel Cabrera all on his own at the head of the field on level-par. Donald, playing with Cabrera, can't hole his birdie putt so he stays on six-over.
2040 : Monty holes out well on nine for a par, but the big fella is way off the pace at ten-over and will be more concerned about making the cut than matters at the top of the leaderboard. Luke Donald is still on contention on six-over and lovely approach at 15 gives him a chance to claw a stroke back... that's more like the accuracy we expect from Donald's irons.
2033 : It's a five for Dougherty at 18 and he's gone out in 38. It's the first time he's been over-par in the tournament, but he'll know it's about surviving and just posting a score that gives him a chance over the weekend... with the greens as they now are, being under-par by the halfway stage seems wishful thinking.
2025 : Tiger's par putt sits on the right lip and refuses to drop and he's back to two-over. Harry still doesn't have a birdie, but he rolls home a cracking 20-footer to save par on seven that must have felt like one.
2022 : 47-year-old Olin Browne produces a beautiful chip in from the fringe of the 18th green, his ninth hole, to make it a four-way tie for the lead on level-par. Some shot that...Tiger has left himself plenty to do for par at 15 after a very aggressive putt for birdie, Ogilvy drops another and is now four-over.
2018 : Cabrera sinks a long curling putt for birdie at 13 to join leaders Dougherty and Toms at level-par. Olly has had a nightmare start and a double-bogey at six sees him fall to four-over, but the Spaniard is one of the game's great competitors and will not let his head drop. Dougherty narrowly misses out on birdie at eight...
2010 : A quick run down of the leading Europeans for AS out there in sunny Lithuania: Dougherty (Lev), Pablo Martin (+1), Niclas Fasth (+1), Rose (+2), Peter Hanson (+2), Casey (+3), Anders Hansen (+3), Pettersson (+4), Olazabal (+4), McDowell (+5), Harrington (+5), Donald (+6)... apologies, Harrington's missed putt at six did not cost him a bogey, it was for birdie so he left with a par
2006 : Padraig watches as his five-footer for par at six breaks heavily, hits the lip and stays out... he's still to make a birdie at this year's championship and is now six-over. David Toms has crept back up the leaderboard, he's one-under through four and one-over for the tournament now.
1954 : Tiger misreads his birdie putt at 13 and stays at one-over. He gives himself a stern talking to following the miss, he knows that chances like that at Oakmont need to be converted.
1951 : Oh dear, Dougherty's fine start has now evaporated as he double-bogeys 15. It should have been no worse than a bogey but he snatched at a short putt and in the blink of an eye is back to level-par for the tournament and in a tie for the lead. He now shares that lead with Cabrera, but also Ben Curtis who strokes home a 30 birdie putt at four and Swede Niclas Fasth who picked up a shot at the second.
1941 : Wonderful tee-shot from Tiger at the par-three 13th leaves him six feet for another birdie, that would take him back to level-par. It's been a disappointing start for Luke Donald who has squandered two shots through his first two holes to fall back to six-over. Monty is also two-over for his round but some way further down the field at eight-over.
1938 : Tiger shows just why he's so good as he bounces back from his bogey at 11 with fine birdie at the monster 667-yard par-five 12th courtesy of a well-judged putt. Not such good news for playing partner and defending champion Ogilvy who can do no better than a double-bogey seven to slide back to three-over.
1930 : Dougherty's first three-putt of the week at 14 means he gives back that birdie immediately, but he's still the only man in the tournament in red numbers at two-under.
1926 : Sergio's prospects seem no brighter today, he's already dropped two in the first three holes and is way down on 11-over already. Luke Donald opens with a par to stay four-over and has now been joined by Harrington who has let one slip away. Monty is still seven-over after a couple more pars...
1922 : Padraig is out on the course and has kicked off with a par at the first. He'll relish the challenge off scrambling round here trying to shoot the best score he possibly can.
1913 : What a start for Dougherty, while all around him seem to be heading backwards he rolls in another fine putt, but this one is birdie at the par-three 13th and suddenly, with Cabrera dropping a stroke at his opening hole, the Liverpudlian has a three-stroke lead... no wonder he's smiling!
1908 : Swede Carl Pettersson is home with a second successive 72 to stand at four-over, that's more than respectable, while Lee Westwood is in the clubhouse on seven-over but will be regretting a bogey at the last. However, Oakmont again demonstrates how tough it is as the great Tiger Woods duffs a chip from the back of the 11th green. It's bogey for the world number one who drops back to two-over.
1901 : Dougherty has made a positive start and another intelligent putt on 12 paves the way for a third straight par. Olly has not been so impressive an another bogey sees him to slide to two-over.
1855 : Olly makes bogey at ten, his opening hole, so drops back to one-over. Tiger and Ogilvy both proceed to show him how it should be done with a chip and mid-range wedge respectively which all but guarantee both par starts at the same hole.
1845 : Rose cannot convert a decent birdie chance at 9, but it's a tap-in and he finishes on two-over after a very mature 71. Splendid effort, a share of the clubhouse lead and he'll have very high hopes going into the weekend.
1840 : Tiger starts his round to the frenzied shouts and screams that always accompany him. He takes an iron off the tenth tee and just about stays on the first cut.
1835 : Monty sinks his birdie putt, and Dougherty knocks in an even more impressive par putt at 11 to keep his lead. He looks like he's enjoying himself. Baddeley finishes with a super up and down at nine for a round 70. He's two-over for the tournament and that could be good enough for the halfway lead, or at least a share of with Rose just behind him on the same score.
1828 : Lovely approach by Monty to the second means he gives himself every chance of reclaiming that dropped shot straight away, but Dougherty has already found a bit of trouble at 11, his second. Swede Carl Pettersson is battling away well and a birdie means he is only three-over through 16 today.
1820 : Monty drops one at the first despite holing a montser putt so he's back to seven-over straight away, but leader Dougherty makes his par at the tenth - solid start. Rose just misses out on birdie at 17 as his putt agonisingly slips past on the high side.
1814 : We've had a real surge of action, Chris DiMarco holes his second shot at the first for a majestic eagle to climb back to four-over. Anthony Wall chips in at the par three sixth for birdie, he's nine-over, while Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell makes birdie at the first and he joins Rose at two-over...
1813 : Rose judges his birdie putt at eight to perfection and a little clench of the fist shows that he knows just how high he could finish come this evening. He's two-over now, level with Baddeley who made his par, with just one hole to play. The English really are making a good fist of this...
1811 : Mickelson is in all sorts of trouble at 18 and his swing again suggests that he would be best of taking a lengthy break after this tournament to get that wrist right. Vijay misses another makeable putt at seven and is now eight-over.
1803 : Overnight leader Nick Dougherty is off and underway. He's starting at the tenth today and opens with a tee-shot that bisects the fairway. Baddeley sets up an outside birdie chance at the par-three 16th, but is eclipsed by playing partner Rose whose tee-shot finishes eight feet from the cup.
1800 : Rose just misses out on birdie at 15 as his putt from the fringe trundles just wide of the cup. Another par and he'll take that over the closing three holes. We have another man under-par!! Bubba Watson - the longest hiiter on the PGA Tour - shows his deft side as he caresses a birdie putt home on the first and he's now level with Angel Cabrera on one-under. How long will that last?
1757 : Casey taps home, he's shot more than ten shots under today's average score of 76.6... that's some going and he could be the halfway leader at this rate. Baddeley will have a say in that and comes up just short with a birdie putt at 7, his 16th, he remains at two-over. Mickelson holes another gritty putt to stay ten-over.
1754 : Lovely deft touch from Casey all but guarantees his 66 as he chips to two-feet. Magnificent display, now let's hope he can maintain that form and mount a genuine challenge, his talent is not in doubt. Mickelson finds the thick stuff again at 17 and leaves himself a 15-footer for par. At ten-over now, that injury seems to have caught up with him.
1746 : Paul Casey plays a fine approach to nine, his final hole, but is unlucky to see his ball roll past the flag and then off the green. A chip and a putt will give him a simply sensational 66, let's hope so. He started the day in 104th spot and is now up to 18th. Vijay contrives to miss his par-putt and is back to seven-over. Poulter is nine-over through 16, but Westwood has fought back and is still six-over. World number four Adam Scott is an incredible +18... oh dear. Now that is the price you pay for being wayward.
1742 : Not for the first time Justin Rose holes out well at 14. He looks determined and composed and is surely overdue a big win... at three-over, he's right there. Vijay narrowly misses with a mammoth birdie putt and remains six-over.
1735 : Casey finds another birdie at seven and consolidates with par at eight after another fine up and down. He's three-over for tournament and in superb shape with just one hole of his second round left... I'm wishing I backed him after his opening 77 now.
1727 : Iain can't understand all the fuss about the course being a severe test... and to be fair I think most people are in agreement that there should be hefty penalties for going off-line otherwise it wouldn't sort the men from the boys. Tom Pernice taps in for a second successive 72, +4 overall and he'll be heading out pretty late on Saturday I would wager.
1721 : Couple of birdies for Lee Westwood at the second and third mean he is back to seven-over and he has a tiddler to make that three in a row at the par-five fourth. Battling stuff from Westwood, Rose sees his birdie putt at 13 fail to drop but he is giving himself plenty of chances.
1712 : It's back-to-back birdies for Furyk who joins Casey on four-over and Mickelson also makes birdie on 14. He needed it to be honest, that drags Lefty back to eight-over... too many more bogeys and he might miss out on the weekend's action.
1704 : Great up and down from Casey at the sixth. If he'd have dropped a shot there after that missed putt at the previous hole his head might have gone down a little, but he rolled home from eight feet to maintain his challenge. Furyk birdies 13 and he's back to five-over, but it's all gone horrible wrong for Poults who manages a triple-bogey seven at 14 after finding the sand and then the rough. He's back to nine-over... but his pink trousers are eye-catching.
1656 : Hola y buenas tardes a Marisa... she's backing Sergio to come good, but he's got some work to do if he's going to challenge here after an opening 79. But Casey has shown it is possible to haul yourself back into contention, the Spaniard will just have to hope his flat stick has a hot day.
1649 : Aaron Baddeley is still going along nicely at two-over, Mickelson now finds himself eight-over. Rose's birdie putt slides past on the high side while Casey contrives to leave his short. He really will be kicking himself as you don't get many six-foot birdie opportunities on this course. Poulter also has to satisfy himself with a par at 13 after a relatively short putt lipped out, he's six-over.
1642 : Nice wedge from Rose at 11 sets up another birdie chance for him, he'll have 12-15 feet to climb back to two-over. Geoff wants to know if people prefer seeing the players made to graft at the majors or whether a birdie-fest is more popular. For what it's worth, I think the majors must be a stern test or they become slightly devalued, it's all about finding the players capable of dealing with challenges the rest can't, which is why the best players usually win. However, I think we all want to see a fair test where both birdies and bogeys are on offer and, to be fair, that is the case at Oakmont... just about!
1637 : Carl Pettersson blots his copybook with a six at the par-four first, shame for the barrel-cheasted Swede... he's back to four-over. There's more magic from Casey at the fifth, his fourteenth. He's the only player out on the course under-par and three-under at that. An immaculate iron rolls to six feet and he'll have that to move to three-over for the championship. He's really ignited his challenge today.
1631 : Mind you, as Tiger said when he came off yesterday, it was hard but fair. That is the way everyone wants it... carnage for the sake of carnage just doesn't seem necessary.
1630 : Paul is another backing The Tiger, while Dave wants to know what people think a winning score might be...? I keep changing my mind to be honest, but given the way things are going today I don't think you'll be far wrong with your shout of +8. Maybe one or two shots better than that, but you get the feeling the USGA will just keep turning the screw if players manage to shoot low scores...
1626 : Stewart wants to know how the greens are playing today... the answer is quicker than yesterday, considerably quicker than yesterday morning. You're right in that going out yesterday morning did seem to be worth a couple of shots as the greens were more receptive to approach shots and more forgiving on putts. I think we are now getting somewhere near the predictions of almost marble-like surfaces, there have certainly been plenty of putts and chips racing well past today.
1620 : Vijay's erractic round continues, after three quick bogeys he produces bogey on the first and a double-bogey on the third to undo all his good work. He's back to four-over once again. Ian Poulter has also just double-bogeyed after finding the unforgiving rough at 11, he's dropped back to six-over. That's still a shot better off than Lee Westwood, although the man from Worksop has stemmed the flow of bogeys with three successive pars. Henrik Stenson is now a whopping 13-over through 12 holes today.
1612 : Dave still reckons Tiger will be the man to beat while Gary has backed the more left-field options of Pat Perez and Boo Weekley at appetising prices. Big Boo has been in very decent form this year and made a more than promising start with an opening 72... we'll keep an eye on him Gary. A quick word also for Matt who is keeping an eye on the commentary when his boss is out the room, keep up the good work Sir!
1609 : Graham wants to know what club the players are hitting at the 288-yard par-three eighth. Mixture of long irons and three-woods seem to be the order of the day... distant dream for this onlooker. Be more than happy with a driver and a wedge myself, that's probably why I'm sat here and not out there playing.
1603 : John makes the point that the so-called big guns seem to be leaving the door open for a less-established star... I suppose we have to remember that it's still very early in the piece and that every player in tournament is likely to have at least one high score this week. That said Tiger is still to go out and his opening 71 is looking better by the minute... it would take a brave man at this point to say he won't be far off come Sunday night.
1559 : Justin Rose has steadied the ship after his dodgy start, he's followed that birdie at six with a couple of pars and is still very handily-placed at three-over. Justin is Dave's tip and seems to have the game and temprament to win a major, can he make the breakthrough here?
1555 : Kevin thinks Vijay looks pretty good value as he's still available at around 10/1. He's just lost one at ten to drop back to two-over, but he's shown he's more than capable of making birdies on this frightening course. Baddeley has also dropped one so he's one-over, but still the best-placed of any player on the course.
1546 : The course once again demonstrates it can make a mockery of the very best as Mickelson sees his lengthy birdie putt on nine race past the hole and off the green the other side. It's another bogey and a very costly three holes for the popular American. Casey shows just the kind of imagination you need to take on these unforgiving greens as what appears an overly aggressive chip at two streams well past the flag before hitting the bank at the back of the green and creeping back to about four feet from the hole. Excellent stuff from the Englishman.
1545 : Let's hear from you lot out there, if indeed there is anyone out there... Predictions, questions, whatever you fancy really. Anyone got a bet that is looking particularly good or bad?
1540 : Carl Pettersson has made a promising start to his round. A birdie two at the par-three 16th means he's level-par for the day and two-over for the tournament. The pin position at 16th is much more inviting today and it's a genuine birdie opportunity. It was a good opening day for the Swedes with Peter Hanson and Niclas Fasth both shooting 71s, the only real disappointment was Henrik Stenson's 79. It's been a better start for big Henrik today, though, and he is just one-over through nine holes so far, ten-over overall.
1533 : Another one slips away for Mickelson at eight so he's back to five over while playing partner Jim Furyk has endured a most disappoiting start to his second round. The 2003 champion was a model of consistency on Thursday and was many people's tip this week, but he has squandered four shots over his first eight holes and is also at five-over. Mind you, with conditions only getting tougher, shots can slip away in the blink of an eye and without the players doing an awful lot wrong.
1526 : Mickelson gives back his two early birdies with a disappointing double-bogey six at seven having found the heavy rough with a wayward drive. That stuff really is trecherous, once you're in there you can all but kiss goodbye to your par... how it should be some will no doubt say. Justin Rose pulls one back at the short sixth after three early bogeys, he's now three-over.
1525 : Having dropped three shots in his first four holes, Vijay is now on a birdie roll with three in his last four and a putt for another at 18. That just slides by on the low side, but he's level-par for the day and demonstrating that there are still plenty of birdie chances out there if you hit the ball straight.
1523 : David wants to know what conditions are like, it's bright and crisp. There hasn't been any rain and judging by the way the balls are rolling on the greens it doesn't look like they have been watered overnight either. There was talk that the USGA were unhappy at anyone breaking par yesterday so today could prove an even sterner test.
1515 : Casey gives one back at the 18th, his ninth, as a par putt just lips out, so he's back to four-over. It's been a start to forget for Lee Westwood who, after a splendidly courageous 72 yesterday, has contrived to throw away four shots in his opening five holes today to slip back to six-over.
1505 : Justin Rose and Ian Poulter have both dropped two early shots so are back to three and four-over respectively, Vijay Singh and Jim Furyk are at two and three-over respectively, but another of the day's big movers is four-times runner up Phil Mickelson. Lefty looked severely hampered by his wrist injury yesterday as he battled to a 74, but is two-under for today's round and in the shake-up at just two-over now. It's all brewing up very nicely...
1502 : Of the early starters on Friday, Australian Aaron Baddeley has conjured two early birdies to move back to level-par from two-over, while JJ Henry has fought his way back to just one-over having also started on two-over. There's very positive news of Paul Casey who endured an opening 77 yesterday, he's produced a sterling fight-back and is four-under for today's round through eight holes so right back in the hunt at three-over.
1500 : Welcome to day two of skysports.com's live text commentary of the 107th US Open from Oakmont. It was a cracking first day for the European contingent with Nick Dougherty claiming the overnight lead on two-under and a host of others in contention at the right end of the leaderboard. Let's see how things unfold today...
1300 : Join us from 3pm for live commentary from the second round of the US Open.