With a seven-under-par mark of 133 Furyk established a three-stroke clubhouse lead over Nick Price, Eduardo Romero and Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson.

But out on the course defending champion Tiger Woods was starting to make his presence felt, going to the turn in 33 to stand three under both for the day and the championship. He was up to joint fifth, having started the round 25th.

In on the same mark was 53-year-old Watson, trying to become the oldest-ever winner of a Major title – by five years.

And if three under was disappointing after the magic of his opening 65, which in itself had made Watson the oldest-ever leader of a Major, then the crowd did not let him think so. They cheered him onto every tee and green.

The reception, of course, was also for caddie Bruce Edwards, who has a fatal disease for which there is currently no cure.

The pair have worked together for most of Watson’s career and it was easy to understand the tears that accompanied them on the first day.

Edwards’ amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, speeds up the ageing process and Watson has passionately called for money to enable research that might come up with a cure.

“It affects 30,000 people and that doesn’t make it a big enough disease for the drug companies to spend millions of dollars to try to find a cure, as they are for AIDS, cancer, heart disease and things like that,” he said.

“You find most of the funding coming from the patients and their families. There are some very strong indications that a drug will cure ALS – we just have to find it. We need the money.

“That’s the message I want to say. I have the podium to be able to give you that message and it’s really important to me to give it. Two hundred and fifty thousand people will get it in the next 20 years.”

Because of the seriousness of the situation, Watson said he did not mind if he shot 90 on his return to the course. But he had no intention of doing so, of course.

After a bogey at the fifth Watson birdied the eighth to turn in 36. But then came a double-bogey six at the 458-yard 12th, the hole where he sank his six-iron for an eagle two yesterday.

This time he hit a bad drive and then, on the green in three, three-putted. He birdied two holes later, but finished with a bogey after failing to get up and down from sand.

“I didn’t get anything going, so the emotion wasn’t quite as strong as it was yesterday,” he said.

“It was more of a struggle – I was just treading water.”

Furyk, two over par after nine holes yesterday, resumed on three under and pitched to 18 inches on the first to strengthen his bid for a first Major. He also birdied the long sixth en route to an outward 34.

Further birdies came on the 13th and 14th to take him clear and he should really have finished with some more, missing chances at the 16th and 18th.

“I’m happy with my position,” he said not surprisingly.

“I played a really solid round – probably my best so far in the Open.

“It would have been nice to make a couple more and the opportunity was there, but I just want to continue with how I’m playing.”

Darren Clarke, partnering Furyk and Phil Mickelson, added a 69 to his initial 70 to be one under at halfway and in a share of 16th place. Mickelson was one further back after a second successive 70.

“I’ve left a lot of shots out there,” said Clarke, whose manager Chubby Chandler said it was the best he had ever seen him play tee to green in a Major.

“One under at halfway in a US Open is pretty good, but Jim is playing a slightly different course to the rest of us.

“I’ve been attacking the course in the way I said I would and it’s been fun because Phil does it all the time.

“I’ve just got to keep hitting the ball the way I am and convert more of the chances I’m giving myself.”

Jacobson qualified for the event last year and is playing his first American Major. No US Open debutant has won since Francis Ouimet in 1913, while both 48-year-old Romero and 46-year-old Price have their sights on becoming the oldest player to lift the trophy.

One of those grateful for Furyk’s late putting misses was Londoner Brian Davis, in at three over after a 72.

The US Open is the only Major that still has the rule whereby anybody within 10 strokes of the lead after 36 holes qualifies.

Davis, five under after four holes in a magical start yesterday, said: “I’ll be pretty sick if I’m flying home tonight. I played well, but didn’t hole the putts. That was the key.”

Sergio Garcia was on the same three over mark following a disappointing 74 - Davis shot 72 – but definitely out were Paul Casey on five over despite a 69, Paul Lawrie (74) on nine over and Nick Faldo, who had his second successive 75 for 10 over.

Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington, who opened with 69s, were among the later starters, as were Woods, Ernie Els and Justin Rose.

Woods set off on the right foot with a 15-foot putt, sank one twice as long at the fourth and after bogeying the next was again on in two at the 555-yard sixth and almost holed his approach to the difficult ninth.

Montgomerie got to two under, but then took six at the long sixth, while Harrington and Rose were level par after six, the Dubliner having bogeyed the 12th.