Ask Paul McGinley and he will tell you that Padraig Harrington was "born to chip, pitch and putt." It is a combination of skills that helped the Irishman to win the Open Championship at Carnoustie last year when, under extreme pressure, he pitched close to the hole on the 72nd green to set the clubhouse lead before going on to beat Sergio Garcia in a four-hole play-off.

On the first day of the US Open at Torrey Pines, Harrington had anything but a good short game. Playing in the afternoon, he seemed bemused and bewildered by changing and inconsistent conditions and came in with a round of 78, seven over par, that included an uncharacteristic three double bogeys, five bogeys and four birdies.

Yesterday, the normal Harrington came to the fore, with a bogey-free round of 67, including four birdies, that moved him off the cut line and back into contention on three over par, tied 22nd, and just six shots off the lead of Stuart Appleby.

This time, playing in the morning and in more favourable conditions, Harrington's short game was where he needed it to be. The previous day he had failed to get down in two from each of the three greenside bunkers he visited and took 32 putts, which is too many. The second round was a different story. Of the three bunkers he visited, he failed to get down in two from only one of them and had 27 putts.

"I was holing putts that I was missing yesterday," Harrington said. "When you are doing that it makes it so much easier to hit your shots into the greens. You are much more accepting of the odd bad shot."