It was the closest thing to a day of misspent golf, a day when the players waded through weeds and crept behind bunkers that looked like benches. Fiji’s Vijai Singh was not dressed up for a day at the beach, but that is where his ball ended up on the 15th hole. Singh is eight over for the tournament. Bubba Watson shot a 71 in the second round and is alone in second place, one stroke back.

The best golfers in the world finally met Oakmont Country Club and all of its twisted toughness on Friday, leaving the scorecards ugly and the golfers hugging their caddies. “It’s just a mean golf course,” Jim Furyk, 2003 US Open champion, said.

After the second day of the 107th US Open, the leader board had been shaken, stirred and turned around, leaving Ángel Cabrera of Argentina with a one-shot lead at par 140 and leaving Phil Mickelson with his first missed cut in the championship since 1992. The cut fell at 150.

Cabrera, with a one-over-par 71, led Bubba Watson (71) by a shot, and Stephen Ames (69), Aaron Baddeley (70), Justin Rose (71) and Niclas Fasth (71) by two. Tiger Woods (74) trailed Cabrera by five.

With balls whizzing over greens and bounding into the rough, the officials of the United States Golf Association (USGA) applauded their handiwork around Oakmont.

The US Open has been criticised in the past by players for unfair course set-ups — particularly at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. But the golfers almost universally accepted Oakmont as a rugged but fair test.

Paul Casey of England, after all, shot a four-under 66 to stand three shots off the lead, a message to the field that good scores could be had.

“The greens are very true,” Tom Pernice said after shooting a 72 that put him four shots back. “It’s one of the best-conditioned golf courses I’ve ever stepped on.” Rory Sabbatini said, “This course is going to be challenging any way you do it.”

Mickelson was less forgiving of the set-up. He clung to the cutline until late in the afternoon, when Cabrera nestled an iron shot from 135 yards to two feet on his final hole and made a birdie. The putt left Mickelson 11 shots behind — one too many for him to get entry into the weekend.