If Thursday saw some of the best of Rory McIlroy, then his second lap of Los Angeles Country Club was characterised by the familiar sighs and groans of diminishing momentum.
At the time of going to press, that translated to a tally of six under par through 15 holes, which was only one better off than where he started.
No round in the red can ever be considered bad, but at a US Open that has so far been unusual in its opportunities for scoring, McIlroy regularly carried the look of a man short-changing himself.
That was best demonstrated by his bashing of an iron against the floor on the fourth tee, on his way to what would be one of four bogeys. He carded only one in the entirety of his opening 65, but he was far looser here, albeit with sufficient quality that he was able to right the balance with five birdies, ensuring he is still very much in this tournament.
Just how well placed he will be this weekend will naturally be determined by his final numbers, and indeed the success of the later starters, including the overnight leaders Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele.
Rory McIlroy (pictured) has suffered from inconsistency in round two of the US open
The 34-year-old has so far struggled to build on his brilliant first round on Thursday
They tore the North Course apart on Thursday with matching 62s that equalled the lowest-ever round at a major, but come Friday the track has been tickled into a stiffer challenge.
That was manifested by pins in tighter spots and an extra 200 yards of length, which translated into lower scores among the early starters.
Yet it remains a track that is far more friendly than many we see on the US Open rota. Brilliant and nuanced, yes, but less snarly, especially in the overcast conditions of the first two days. The potential for birdies was shown initially by Wyndham Clark, who improved by three to set the clubhouse lead at nine under. Harris English also had scope to better himself by four to seven under.
With those gains possible, it is fair to say McIlroy didn’t quite get his fill. His driving was generally solid, but it was notable that his approach play dropped off. Having hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation on Thursday, here he managed only 10 of those 15 he had played. If he is to get over the line for a first major in nine years, it is plainly the area in need of most improvement at the weekend.
Starting on the 10th, he opened with a par, but at the next, a 276-yard par three, he found the thick greenside rough and could only chip to 15 feet. He missed the putt coming back to drop a shot, before picking it back up with a 32-footer at 12.
The turbulence continued with a second bogey after he yanked his drive left at 13, which rather typified his play. Nothing was wildly out of sync, but equally all facets were just a little less clean compared to his first round.
He stabilised with three straight pars, including a missed chance for birdie from 10 feet at 15, before he lost a stroke on the 17th when he flew through the green on his approach.
A birdie at the par-five first helped, and another mid-range putt was drained at the third, which moved the Northern Irishman to five under.
His speed was building, but then the 2011 champion dumped an iron into the barranca guarding the front of the green at the 200-yard fourth. His anger was clear and a bogey followed, before the cleanser of birdies at five and six.
It was also a slow-burning day for Matt Fitzpatrick, albeit with the notable uplift of an ace at the 115-yard 15th
While McIlroy was making small losses and gains, more dramatic swings of fortune were impacting Dustin Johnson.
He had begun his round in a tie for third on six under, but incurred a quadruple bogey at the second. By the 17th hole, he had recovered to five under.
It was also a slow-burning day for Matt Fitzpatrick, albeit with the notable uplift of an ace at the 115-yard 15th. The defending champion was one over with three to play.
Meanwhile, organisers of The Open have confirmed that Tiger Woods will not play at Hoylake next month as he continues his recovery from surgery in April.