BETHESDA, Md. - No one knows Rory Mcllroy better than defending U.S.Open champ and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell, who can see himself shaking McIlroy's hand as his successor Sunday.
"He will not be caught if he plays his game. If he shoots two 71s from here, it's all over," McDowell said. "I guess at one point, he had a 10-shot lead and now he's got a six-shot lead, but a six-shot lead over one guy. The rest of the field is bunched up. The rest of the field is not capable of doing him in. He has to make mistakes to give them a chance. And if he continues to play the way he's been playing, there will be no one happier for him than me."
McDowell said McIlroy was "the same old Rory. He's flusher." But he also sees McIlroy as being much more comfortable over his putter.
PHIL SCRAMBLING Phill Mickelson shot a 2-under 69 Friday, even with a double bogey on the 18th hole, but still wasn't happy with some of the places he's been hitting it.
"Yeah, it was a disappointing finish with that double, but I'm still struggling," he said. "Even though I was able to shoot under par today, I was still struggling with it. Rather than go work on it, I think I'm going to try to figure out what it is I need to work on first and then get back to the range."
McIlroy, playing in the same group as Mickelson, was actually amazed by how Mickelson's been able to rescue himself with his short game.
"I don't know if I could have been under par for the tournament hitting it in some of the places that he did," McIlroy said. "But he's just got a phenomenal short game and a great attitude. I actually sort of caught myself trying to just sort of watch some of the chip shots he played Saturday because he's sort of looking around everywhere, looking at different parts of the green, how he can bring it in ... you can see all those little thoughts going through his head. It's really cool."
IT ONLY LOOKS EASy USGA executive director Mike Davis said he's not taking offense to what McIlroy did to the course the first two days.
"I think it's great," said the man who sets up the courses. "It's kind of like Tiger in 2000 (at the U.S. Open atPebble Beach). He blew it away with 12-under, but what did everyone else shoot? He's executed the shots really well and he was rewarded and that's what we want."
AMATEUR'S HOURNot many golf fans have heard about Patrick Cantlay, but they may soon. Cantlay, a 19-year-old who was the collegiate player of the year as a freshman at UCLA, fired a 67 Friday to get to even-par 142, the best score among the 12 amateurs in the field.
"For the most part, I felt calm and comfortable out there," he said. "It's easier playing from the fairway. I drove it better today and I really felt comfortable on the greens and started rolling some putts in."
Cantlay's former high school rival, 16-year-old Beau Hossler, missed the cut by finishing at 11-over.
"I feel like the nerves, I controlled them very well," he said. "I didn't play my best. I felt like my game wasn't really there this week. But I felt like I controlled my emotions very well and had a good attitude out there, which helped me make some nice shots over the week."
IN RUNNING - FOR 2ND Brandt Snedeker shot his second straight 70, which would be great at most U.S. Opens, but he was nine shots out of the lead in this one. He probably summed up the thoughts of the field trying to chase McIlroy.
"He's not in a thought in my mind at all," Snedecker said. "If he keeps playing the way he's playing, we're all playing for second place.
ROCK LOSES ROLLEnglishman Robert Rock, who won last week on the Euro Tour but didn't even see the course until Thursday because of visa problems, shot even par to stay at 1-under but felt he could have taken it much lower.
"I ran out of energy after nine holes, to be honest," he said.
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