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We mentioned Phil Mickelson recently and at one stage earlier today he was inside the top 10, before drifting out to four over in his first round.

In his second round there has not been much to get excited about so far. Five holes played, five pars made. Current position, tied 55th, eight strokes off the leaders.

If he is going to claim the only major that is missing from his trophy cabinet then he is going to have to do something special soon or he will be too far out of contention.

Jordan Spieth talking on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: “It was really tough yesterday. Bit of a shame, because Oakmont was so great on those practice days, as it was firming up.

“I don’t think it was possible for anyone going out at our tee time yesterday to shoot four under though.

“I know that the USGA want the winning score to be even par and I know that I can shoot two under par, so I can get there.”

It is just not happening for Henrik Stenson at the moment. Three blobs of orange appear on his scorecard, after bogeys at the first, fourth and fifth.

On the fifth, his attempt to save par sees his putt go from left to right, but it does not swing back enough and it runs on. The greens are so, so fast.

Before we started, Phil Mickelson described Oakmont as the hardest course he had played. And you can see why. The course is getting drier, and faster, May the best man win.

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Another Englishman who has hit a good spell is Lee Slattery. A birdie on the 11th is then followed by a snaking chip-in eagle on the 617-yard par five 12th. That's two under for round two and level par overall.

A few birdies to let you know about. Spain's Sergio Garcia is successful at the par four 17th to go on to two under for the tournament.

Andy Sullivan, who could well be in the same European Ryder Cup team as Garcia later this year, is also on two under overall after sinking a 14-foot putt on the 18th. That is successive birdies for Sullivan.

Lee Westwood talking on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra:

"The rain slowed up the course massively whereas in the practice rounds they were lightning quick, which made things very different yesterday.

"Rain delays are just one of those things. There's nothing you can do, just eat a lot, drink a lot of coffee and watch football.

"You have to try and switch off from the golf because of how mentally draining playing the US Open is."

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Dustin Johnson drove into a greenside bunker on the 318-yard par four hole, but a good recovery left him with a nine-foot putt for a birdie to take the overall lead.

He thinks he has got it too. It looks good, but it flicks off the edge of the hole and he has to settle for par. As you were. He stays joint level with Andrew Landry, who remember is resting and will not be back in action until tomorrow.

Landry's day has seen him take one shot with a putter. But it was a successful one as he birdied the ninth, the last hole of his first round. A 100% shot-success rate today, and then time to put the feet up. That is a good day.

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More on Stenson. Marooned in some horrible rough at the fifth, he gets the ball on to the green. Well, temporarily, as it then runs off, and off, and off. Dropped shots are looking inevitable.

And that is what happens. He has to go back up the hill and sends his putt six feet past the pin.

Henrik Stenson is facing a tough lie in the sand. The good news for the Swede is he is out of the sand.

The bad news is he now has to deal with some pretty nasty looking, and deep, rough on the fifth. He is two over for his second round, and that may be about to get worse.

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'Right a little, right a little', shouts Sergio Garcia as he tees off on the 17th. Like a naughty teenager, the ball does not respond and goes a bit too left for the Spaniard's liking.

Meanwhile, on the same hole, joint leader Dustin Johnson is heading to the beach.

Jim Furyk, 46, taps in a birdie to move to two under. He has won one major in his career - the 2003 US Open - and he is well placed for another attack on the leaderboard.

Jay Townsend
Former American professional on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra

"These greens have tremendous slopes and elevation changes. One, 10 and 12 play away from you. Once you get out of position you then get defenseless and to be in with a chance you need to be able to play aggressive golf here."

Not many were expecting Scott Piercy to last the distance. But there he is, still inside the top five and looking in good nick

He began round two with a bit of a wobble, bogeying not only the 10th, but also the 12th. But he has come back strongly with four birdies (and one bogey) in his next six holes.

His latest success came on the 18th, with a six-foot putt, hit straight, hit true, hit into the middle of the hole. 

This could be a career-making week for the world number 67, who is now tied third, one stroke behind joint leaders Dustin Johnson and Andrew Landry.

Adam Scott calmly rolls it in from five feet on the 13th. He started his second round by bogeying the 10th, but two further birdies have come since. He is one of many, many golfers on level par overall.

Rory McIlroy speaking on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra: "There's a score out there to be had and if I can get myself together, then I get back in there. I need to be shooting 66 in round two."

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Oakmont has removed 15,000 trees from the interior of the course since the US Open was held here in 1983.

About half of the trees were removed prior to the 2007 US Open at Oakmont and the other half have been removed since.

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England's Andy Sullivan has a chance of representing Europe in the Ryder Cup later this year, so he will be desperate to impress this weekend.

He is currently on level par for the tournament, and one under through seven in his second round. His efforts so far leave him in tied 12th and there are only three European players - Lee Westwood, Shane Lowry and Sergio Garcia - ahead of him.

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This is for the overall lead. Dustin Johnson, OK, maybe it's nearer 20 foot instead of the 10 foot that I said (maths and distances were never my strong point), putting uphill on the 15th.

It seems like it is a good line, but the shot does not have enough power and as it slows down, it drifts to the left. But, considering the day he has had, we will let him off that one. He stays on four under, with a share of the lead with fellow American Andrew Landry.

So after a slight delay because of the cricket over running, live coverage is now on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra. Just press the blue speaker symbol at the top of our page to listen.

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It would have been two birdies in three holes for Jason Day. He knows he needs a good second round after what has been a poor day and he looks skywards in annoyance after missing a rare opportunity.

We asked earlier if a short turnaround would help Jason Day? The world number one struggled in his first round this afternoon, with a six-over-par 76 leaving him 10 strokes off the lead.

Well, he has birdied the 10th, the first hole of his second round, and he is with an opportunity of clawing another stroke back on the 12th.

Joint leader Dustin Johnson has a great chance to move into the outright lead, with him facing a 10-foot attempt for a birdie at the 15th.