Tiger Woods blasts out of the sand onto the green on the fifth hole during the US Open at San Francisco's Olympic Club on Friday in California. Woods fired off an even-par 70 to seize a share of the second-round lead alongside Jim Furyk and David Toms. "That was not easy," Woods said. "Just had to stay as patient as possible." Frederic J. Brown / Agence France-Presse

Andy Zhang's historic US Open appearance ended after two rounds on Friday, but the Beijing-born 14-year-old departed The Olympic Club cherishing an "exciting, unforgettable" experience.

"Everything I did, I had never done it before, and it's just a great experience," said Zhang, who was believed to be the youngest golfer ever to compete in the US Open.

Now based in Florida, Zhang (pictured) said his late callup into the tournament as an alternate would boost his junior golf career - and give him a goal as he tries to return next year.

Zhang said he agreed with 17-year-old Beau Hossler's assessment that a first US Open appearance was a tremendous learning experience.

Hossler played at Congressional last year in his first US Open start - and on Friday found himself atop the leaderboard briefly en route to a tie for ninth through 36 holes.

"There's a huge difference between the first day and the second day," Zhang said. "First day I was on the tee, I was shaking a lot and even after like a few holes I was still really nervous, and today I was on the tee - it got a lot better.

"You kind of can block out the crowds a little bit and everything else. If I come back here next year, I think I'll do a lot better."

Zhang had no problem picking out his highlight of the week, holing a putt from the fringe at 18 on Thursday.

"That's the loudest cheer I heard like for my life from other people," he said, although he could name plenty of other postcard moments.

"Standing actually right next to Bubba Watson, watching him hitting the tee shot," Zhang said, who also enjoyed the free food and the laundry service.

During the week, Zhang revealed that one of his golf goals is to play for his native China at the 2016 Olympics, although so far nothing has been done officially to pursue that aim.

Before the tournament, he gamely answered an interview question in Mandarin, although he admitted that because he has lived in Florida since he was 10, he doesn't feel comfortable with the language.

"Do I have to?" a tired Zhang said when asked for a quote in Mandarin on Friday. "I don't feel like my Chinese is as good as my English."

Tiger Woods wrested an even-par 70 to seize a share of the US Open second-round lead alongside Jim Furyk and David Toms.

On a day when the testing conditions saw names rise and fall on the leaderboard in the blink of an eye, with even 17-year-old amateur Beau Hossler briefly taking the solo lead, it was a trio of battle-tested veterans who topped the leaderboard on 139 - the 1-under total making them the only players under par after two rounds.

Woods, of course, is a 14-time major champion, while Furyk won the 2003 US Open and Toms won the 2001 USPGA Championship.

"That was not easy," Woods said. "Just had to stay as patient as possible and I did a really good job of that today."

(China Daily 06/17/2012 page7)