By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, Rochester

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Does this sound familiar at all? Little-known American pushes stars into the shade to lead golf major.

A month after world number 396 Ben Curtis became the most surprising winner of the Open in history, world number 169 Shaun Micheel is out in front at the halfway stage of the United States PGA championship at Oak Hill.

And out in front by two after four birdies in his last five holes on Friday night long after most of the crowd had headed for home to see if there were any more power black-outs.

Curtis was playing his very first major at Sandwich. Micheel, a 34-year-old from Orlando, is playing his third - but his first US PGA.

Curtis had never had a top-10 finish on the US Tour. Micheel has at least had three this season alone, but he has yet to win in an 11-year professional career and his biggest headlines were for something away from the course 10 years ago.

"I found out I was a little bit better swimmer than I thought I was," he said. He stripped to his boxer shorts and helped to rescue an elderly couple from a sinking car.

It earned him a bravery award, but he also remembers the tournament he was playing in at the time.

"I was playing really well, but I lost because I kept hitting in the water the last few holes. It was kind of ironic," he added

He takes inspiration from what Curtis achieved in Kent.

"Absolutely," he commented. "Why not? Someone is going to have to win and I've played in enough golf tournaments now as a professional that I feel maybe I'm ready to do something.

"What's held me back I don't know, but I'd love to add my name to the long list on that Wanamaker Trophy.

"That's getting a bit ahead of myself. Players rate their careers on how many majors they've won - heck, I've only played in three."

He has an incentive beyond simply proving himself a winner. A qualified pilot like his father, he wants to buy a plane so he can spend more time with his attorney wife, who is expecting their first child later this year.

Masters champion Mike Weir finished with two bogeys yesterday and is two behind along with Billy Andrade, who was originally the fifth reserve for the event and did not get into it until Monday.

Ernie Els would have been joint second but for a closing double bogey, while Tiger Woods bogeyed two of his last three to fall to six over, nine adrift of Micheel.

"My whole game felt better," said the world number one. "But those two bogeys both came with wedges in my hand, which is very disappointing."

As for his chances of a ninth major win Woods stated: "You just know you have to be very patient and that if you can somehow get back to near par you'll have a chance of winning. Even par will win easily if it stays like this and they don't cut the rough any more."

Phil Mickelson was five under and three clear after four holes of his second round, but then came two double bogeys - he went in water both times - and he is in the group with Els.

Leading European is German Alex Cejka on three over. It put him joint 18th going into the weekend.

Thirteen of those ahead of him have not won a major either, keeping alive the chance of four first-time winners in a season for the first time in over 30 years.