Padraig Harringotn was today keeping alive his hopes of ending the season as a double major winner after making a solid start to the second round of the USPGA Championship at Oakland Hills near Detroit.

As the course nicknamed the "Monster" continued to claim casualties including Darren Clarke and Nick Dougherty, Harrington refused to be intimidated by the hard, fast fairways and thick rough which brought stinging criticism from Lee Westwood yesterday.

Westwood came away from his seven over par 77 to claim the organisers were "sucking the fun out of the major championships".

But patience paid for Harrington, who last month made a successful defence of the Open Championship. Having negotiated the first round with a one over 71, the Dubliner maintained his form today with a birdie at the 10th, his first hole, and a bogey at the next, but then a run of four successive pars.

That kept him one over, just three behind overnight clubhouse leaders Robert Karlsson, of Sweden, and India's Jeev Milkha Singh who both got round in two under 68s.

Andres Romero was also two under after 16 when bad light caused play to be suspended last night, but when the Argentine player returned to the course this morning he bogeyed the 18th to fall to one under.

Of the early starters today, Ian Poulter birdied the 11th, his second of the round, to go three over for the tournament. That score should send him safely into the weekend, but Clarke and Dougherty look like they will be heading home early.

Clarke remained six over par approaching the turn and Dougherty was seeing his faint hopes of a Ryder Cup call disappear as he dropped three shots in five holes to slump to 10 over.

Meanwhile, Kenny Perry, playing in a major for the first time this year, confirmed his withdrawal after an opening-round 79 because of an eye injury.