Phil Mickelson showed up many of his younger opponents by carding a solid 5 under par for the second round of the US open, moving him into equal second position. It also moved him to outright favourite to win with his betting odds coming in to 11/4, well clear of second pick Graeme Mcdowell (6/1) who carded a 3 under to lead by two.

The US Open has proven to be a hard ask this year with many of the top golfers floundering. Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, all expected to figure in the finish are well back in the pack with McIlroy looking at an early exit once the cut is called. What has made Mickelson’s effort solid is the way he held his game together over the last couple of holes, all playing above par.

Ernie Els (7/1 third favourite) has moved into calculations with a well earned 3 under par for to share second place with Mickelson; Dustin Johnson (10/1 and 1 under for today); and Ryo Ishikawa (25/1 and even for today). Overnight leader Paul Casey slipped to even for the tournament following a poor two over today – still, he wasn’t alone with the majority of players returning over par rounds.

This is going to be a tough US Open to call with sub par rounds hard to come by. Many of the elite golfers are 5 or more shots off the lead, not normally a total disaster – however, the way this course is playing, tying to haul back two or three shots could be difficult. With a two shot lead, McDowell is well placed to win this event – if he can hold it together. Our call – at this stage, Ernie Els could be the player to make a move. His betting odds have been solid and, at 7/1, looks to be good value.