Olin Browne was trying to avoid a big number and wound up thrilled with a double bogey.

At the end of a punishing day filled with elation and agony, leave it to the most even-keeled guy in the game — defending champion Retief Goosen — to be atop the leaderboard and suddenly the favorite at the U.S. Open.

At least for now.

"I don't think you can really distance yourself at this event," Goosen said. "It's going to be a tough, grinding weekend out there, so it's just who is going to make the least mistakes."

Yesterday might have been just a preview.

"If you don't hit the ball properly, you're in trouble," Retief Goosen said. "I felt I could finish 4 or 5 under." Goosen shot an even-par 70 and is in a three-way tie for the lead at the U.S. Open after two rounds. Gerry Broome • Associated Press

They were at 2-under 138, the highest 36-hole score to lead the U.S. Open since 1996 at Oakland Hills. Only three other players were under par. Mark Hensby (68) and K.J. Choi (70) each birdied the final hole and were one shot behind. Vijay Singh, who has missed only six greens in two days, had another 70 and was at even-par 140, joined by Sergio Garcia (69), Michael Campbell (69) and Lee Westwood (72).

Woods missed two birdie putts inside 12 feet on his final four holes, drew a mild reprimand from the USGA for his poor etiquette on the ninth green and shot 71.

For one and all, the idea was not to make a move, but to stay put.

"Everybody is going to confront a catastrophe out here somewhere," Browne said.

Goosen didn't look capable of one for most of the sunny afternoon, breezing along with two-putt pars and the occasional birdie. But even he wasn't immune to mistakes, missing the green on the fifth hole with a 9-iron to make bogey, and watching his ball trickle off the side of the seventh green and onto a sandy patch above the bunker. That gave him another bogey.

Jason Gore also led the 1998 U.S. Open — for one hole as he was in the first group of the opening round at Olympic Club. Gerry Broome • Associated Press

Gore became the latest surprise atop the leaderboard at Pinehurst. At least Browne and Rocco Mediate, co-leaders after the first day, have won on the PGA Tour. Gore has only spent two seasons in the big leagues without so much as finishing in the top 10.

His only previous U.S. Open fame was being the leader at Olympic Club in 1998 — for one hole, and only because he was in the first group of the opening round.

"This is my second time I've led the U.S. Open. So, I'm quite comfortable now," Gore said, showing the self-deprecating humor that might come in handy over the weekend.

Browne held it together nicely considering his debacle at the par-3 sixth. He went from the front bunker to the back bunker, then past the pin and down the slope off the green. After a safe chip to 25 feet, he holed the putt for double bogey.

Toms learned that over 12 excruciating shots on his last two holes. First, he hit into a bunker on No. 8 and barely got it to the green before three-putting for double bogey. Then, on the par-3 ninth, he went from a bunker over the green, took two shots with the putter to get 10 feet past the hole and two-putted for triple bogey.

"I played really well for the last couple days. I just had two bad holes," Toms said.

Woods started strong with two birdies on the first four holes, but it wasn't long before he ran into problems with the pace of the greens — a three-putt on No. 6, and another one on the ninth, which ran some 12 feet by the cup. When the par putt came up short, he dragged his putter across the green and scuffed up the line.