Graeme McDowell took a two-stroke lead into the third round Saturday, but the Northern Irishman was well aware he had a long way to go to end Europe's 40-year US Open drought.
"I'm probably as ready to go into the weekend of a major as I've ever been," said McDowell, who won the Celtic Manor Wales Open a fortnight ago for a fifth European Tour title.
"That doesn't mean my name's on the trophy this Sunday afternoon. There's a hell of a lot of work to do.
"This course is ready to bite you any second."
In cloudy, cool morning weather, however, a few players were biting back.
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee had the first hole-in-one of the championship with an eight-iron at the par-three fifth hole, which was set up Saturday to to play 181 yards from the right side of the tee to a front-left pin.
The ace came right after Thongchai took a double-bogey six at the fourth - where the tee markers were moved up 40 paces to tempt players to try to drive the green.
Thongchai, who started the day seven-over - 10 shots off the lead, birdied the sixth and took bogey at eight to make the turn one-over for the day.
Tom Watson, winner of the 1982 US Open at Pebble Beach, was two-under for the day through nine, as was Spain's Sergio Garcia and US veteran Kenny Perry.
Watson and Garcia both made the cut right on the line of 149.
With the sun burning off the coastal clouds, however, the leaders were likely to face tough conditions as the course dried out.
England's Paul Casey was among those nipped by Pebble Beach's fangs at the notorious par-five 14th on Friday.
Casey took a triple-bogey eight, South Korea's PGA Champion Yang Yong-eun and 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson had a quadruple-bogey nine at the 580-yard hole.
All three watched chips from short of the green roll back to their feet.
"I only hit one chunked pitch - the other seven shots were quite good," a baffled Casey said.
McDowell had six birdies and three bogeys in his second-round 68 for a three-under total of 139.
Four other players were under par - Masters champion Phil Mickelson, Japanese teenager Ryo Ishikawa, South African Ernie Els and American Dustin Johnson on on-under 141.
Four more players were at even par 142. That included Casey, who recovered from his disaster at the 14th to post a two-over 73, joining Germany's Alex Cejka, Zimbabwe's Brendon de Jonge and American Jerry Kelly.
Mickelson, seeking the second leg of the grand slam, a first US Open title after five runner-up finishes, and a move to the top of the world rankings long dominated by Tiger Woods, surged up the leaderboard Friday with a superb five-under par 66.
After a minor adjustment to his set-up he rolled in a bevy of mid-range putts to make six birdies with just one bogey.
He was keen to keep it going, and admitted the late start time to Saturday's round, in order to broadcast it live in prime evening viewing time on America's East Coast, was a bit deflating.
"It's weird," said Mickelson, who was due to tee off at 3:30pm (22:30 GMT) along with Cejka. "It will be awkward for us all."
McDowell and Dustin Johnson - winner of the last to PGA Tour National Pro-Ams at Pebble Beach - were the last scheduled pair at 3:50pm (22:50 GMT), after Ishikawa and Els (3:40, 22:40 GMT).
Woods didn't have so long to wait, although the 14-time major champion insisted his seven-shot deficit wasn't too much to make up.
"I feel very good," Woods said after making his first three birdies of the week in a second-round 72. "I'm right there."
Woods and Fiji's Vijay Singh were to tee off 1:40pm (20:40 GMT).
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
