Payne Stewart has six top-10 finishes in the U.S. Open, including a win in 1991 at Hazeltine National.

Stewart never quite figured out how to deal with winning one of golf's ultimate prizes, however. He won the 1991 U.S. Open in a playoff over Scott Simpson, and suddenly thought he needed to become a better golfer.

He worked so hard to improve that Stewart became worse. And in the ensuing eight years, he's added just two more tournament titles.

But Stewart appears at peace while playing in the U.S. Open, as he did Friday during the second round. On an extremely difficult day for scoring at Pinehurst No. 2, Stewart shot a 1-under-par 69.

That doesn't sound all the impressive, until you see that it was one of the three lowest rounds of the day and put him in a tie for the lead with David Duval and Phil Mickelson.

And not even what could be a haunting memory from last year's Open could deter him.

"I do feel good about the way I'm playing," said Stewart, who finished second to Lee Janzen at last year's Open after taking a four-shot lead into the final round. "I feel like I'm playing better this year at the U.S. Open than I played last year. I feel like I've got more control over my golf game, over my swing.

"I do have 36 holes to play, and I know that. And I know that I've got to go out and take care of my business. I can't worry about what anybody else is doing. I have to go out and stick to my game plan, try to hit a lot of greens, and if I don't, take my pars and go on."

Stewart, 42, who has 10 PGA Tour titles, including a victory earlier this year at Pebble Beach, made three birdies and two bogeys to finish at 3-under 137. He was done early Friday afternoon while others such as Duval, Mickelson, Paul Goydos and Billy Mayfair attempted to overtake him.

It never happened. And Stewart was not surprised. Par becomes your friend at the Open.

"I think one of the reasons I do well at U.S. Opens is that I get a mindset that par is a good score," Stewart said. "And however I go about making par, whether it's two beautiful golf shots and two putts or two ugly golf shots, a chip and a nice holed putt, whatever it is, I accept it and take it.

"Because you're never losing to anybody. You're not losing to the field on any hole if you're making a par."

Although he'll be battling three of the game's young superstars in Duval, Mickelson and Tiger Woods, Stewart should not be counted out. He won his first major championship 10 years ago at the PGA, long before those three became the multi-millionaire golfers that they are today.

And if a championship owes him one, it is probably this one. Although Stewart shot a final-round 74 last year to lose by one to Janzen, there were some extenuating circumstances.

Janzen's 68 was the only sub-par score among players who had a chance to win on the final day. And Stewart made a bogey down the stretch when he got a bad break by hitting a perfect drive that came to rest in a sand-filled divot.

If that's not enough, Stewart saw an 8-foot birdie putt Friday at the last hole slide just past the hole, then 25 feet away. He made a bogey, the single stroke meaning a big difference in the outcome.

"I felt like I got over that in a quick manner. I didn't want to dwell on it," Stewart said. "I've never watched the tape, and it's kind of like, why bother? I know what I did. I don't need to see what anybody else did.

"I got in position last year and I didn't play well enough to win the golf tournament. And I'm going to try and get myself back in position. I'm doing a pretty decent job of it right at this second. As long as I can get myself in position and deal with it better than I did last year, I know my golf game is better than it was last year.

"So year, there is some unfinished business."

Bob Harig, who covers golf for the St. Petersburg Times, writes a column every Tuesday for ESPN Golf Online.