PEBBLE BEACH, June 17 — Gary Woodland stretched his lead to two strokes over Justin Rose after two holes of the final round of the US Open Golf Championship at Pebble Beach yesterday.

On a day when Pebble Beach remained receptive in cool, cloudy weather, England’s Rose rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at the first to join Woodland atop the leaderboard at 11 under.

But Woodland birdied the second to reach 12-under and Rose bogeyed to fall back to 10-under — where he was soon joined by two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka when the American made his third birdie of the day at the fourth.

South African Louis Oosthuizen was nine-under after birdies at the first and fourth.

The fireworks among the final-round leaders were no surprise.

Marcus Kinhult, ranked 122nd in the world, and 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson both fired five-under par 66s among the early starters.

"It’s a perfect hard test,” said US veteran Phil Mickelson, who couldn’t capitalize and finished his latest bid to complete a career grand slam with a US Open win at four-over. "When you struggle a little bit or if you pull shots like I did it’s very penalizing. And the guys that are playing well it gives them a chance to separate and make some birdies.”

Tiger Woods, who won the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach with a 12-under par total, couldn’t take advantage either. After he rallied from four bogeys in his first six holes, he was even for the tournament through 14. — AFP