Dustin Johnson kept up his incredible run at the US Open and threw down the gauntlet after rain-hit second round

DUSTIN JOHNSON kept up his incredible run at the US Open and threw down the gauntlet to the players who will return for their rain-delayed second rounds today.

Johnson was one of the players who had to play 36 holes on day two after thunderstorms played havoc with the tournament schedule. And he charged into a share of the lead at four under par with rounds of 67 and 69.

The big-hitting American has now been in the top six of the leaderboard for ten rounds in a row, stretching back to the start of the 2014 event.

You get the felling Johnson 31, has to win a Major soon, after knocking on the door so often in the past.

But the rest of the field can take plenty of encouragement from the fact that he has often threatened to take Majors by the scruff of the neck, but has developed into a serial choker.

That started when he took a three shot lead into the final round of the 2010 US Open – and crumbled to an horrendous 82, slipping back into a share of eighth place behind playing partner Graeme McDowell.

Two months later he led the USPGA Championship by a shot playing the 72^nd hole, but made bogey – and also missed out on a play-off by picking up a two shot penalty for grounding a club in one Whistling Strait’s ridiculous mini-bunkers.

He was at it again at the Open in 2011, hitting his second shot out of bounds at the 14^th when he was only a shot behind eventual winner Darren Clarke.

He looked ready to go one better than his runner-up finish there when he led the Open at halfway last year, racing to ten under par. But back-to-back 75s sent him crashing out of contention.

But his worst blow-out came in last year’s US Open. He had a 15 footer for eagle at the final hole to beat Jordan Spieth by a shot, only to three-put and lose by one.

You just wonder what Johnson will do this time to kiss goodbye to yet another chance of breaking his Major duck.

And on yesterday’s evidence it will be another case of letting his rivals off the hook because his putting simply does not come close to matching his long game.

He could easily be six shots clear of the pack by now if he had accepted just half of the birdie opportunities he set up by hitting an incredible 26 greens in succession.

Yet time after time those chances went begging, and until Johnson’s conversion n rate improves he will retain his tag as one of the best players of his generation never to win a Major.

That is a tag his playing partner, Sergio Garcia, has carried ever since he finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the 1999 USPGA Championship.

Three more second places have followed, and a staggering total of TWENTY top tens without a victory. That makes Johnson appear a mere novice in the close-but-no-cigar stakes.

Garcia also played his way into contention again, as rounds of 68 and 70 carried him into a share of fourth place at two under. But don’t hold your breath.

American journeyman Daniel Summerhays showed what was possible at rain-softened Oakmont by shooting a superb 65 – the best round of the tournament so far – and is now on one under par.

English ace Andy Sullivan is on the same mark after bouncing back to form with rounds of 71-68, boosting his hopes of making his Ryder Cup debut at Hazeltine in September.

Now it is down to shock first round leader Andrew Landry, Lee Westwood, and the rest to see whether they can take a second bite out of Oakmont.

But with hot sunshine forecast to bake those treacherous greens for the next 48 hours, it is going to get a lot tougher to sink your teeth into that course.