Johnson sweats out a cut

PINEHURST, N.C. - Zach Johnson thought he had missed the U.S. Open cut. But he's in for the weekend, even if he does trail leader Martin Kaymer by 15 shots.

Johnson shot a 4-over-par 74 Friday and is at 5-over 145 for the championship at Pinehurst No. 2. He made the cut on the number.

By the time Johnson teed off Friday afternoon, Kaymer had polished off a second consecutive 65 and set a record for the lowest 36-hole scoring record at the U.S. Open at 10-under par 130. Johnson trailed by 11 when he began his round.

Johnson watched some of the morning action and was impressed.

'I saw a little of it, and he just didn't look like he made any mistakes,” the Cedar Rapids native said.

A few hours later, Johnson was less enthused about his own round.

'Just very, very poor,” he said. 'Some average to good shots, and a couple decent putts, but all in all pretty poor.”

Johnson had another erratic start. He birdied the first and third holes, but carded a double bogey in between on the difficult second hole.

He made four bogeys in a five-hole stretch in the middle of his round, and from that point he was just trying to make the cut. He made a birdie at the 13th, but a bogey at the final hole left him sweating. The cut was projected at 4 over then, and he was at 5 over.

But his score ended up being good enough to get in, and he'll play the weekend for the sixth time in 11 U.S. Open starts.

His goal will be simple.

'I've got to hit more quality shots, first and foremost,” he said. 'I didn't shoot 4-over golf (Friday), but I scored 4-over and that was part mental and part bad execution. A lot of missed iron shots from the fairway, there's no excuse for.”

He'll play next week at the Travelers Championship, and his busy stretch ahead will include his own benefit event in Cedar Rapids, the John Deere Classic and British Open.

'I've just got to keep plodding along, give myself more opportunities,” Johnson said. 'I still think my best golf is ahead of me.”

Kaymer, meanwhile, played flawless golf Friday, taking advantage of a rain-softened Pinehurst layout to stretch his lead to six shots. He led by eight when he completed his round before the afternoon wave of golfer.

The 29-year-old German, three ahead overnight after opening with a 5-under par 65 he described as 'exceptional”, followed with the same score to post a tournament low 10-under total of 130 in the second major of the season.

Rory McIlroy had set the previous lowest score after 36 holes with an aggregate of 131 in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional.

'I played very well,” a beaming Kaymer said after hitting 12 of 14 fairways and reaching 15 of 18 greens in regulation on a challenging par-70 layout at Pinehurst No. 2.

'I hit some smart shots, I didn't play too aggressive and when I had a good (yardage) number, I went for the flag.”