open

U.S. Open: Tony Finau, Ludvig Åberg kiss chances goodbye on 13 u,s,open,tony,finau,ludvig,berg,kiss,chances,goodbye,on,sbnation,com,golf,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

One hole took down two contenders on Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Open.

The short, dogleg right 13th hole, which only measures 368 yards, turned into a beast—at least for Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg.

When Finau stepped on the 13th tee, he had just dropped back down to 4-under for the championship, thanks to a bogey at the 12th. Bogies do not kill golfers in U.S. Opens, but anything worse does.

After finding the fairway off the tee, Finau had less than 100 yards into the pin, which sat on a little shelf on the front right corner of the green. A false front repels anything a tad short, while a slope beyond the pin knocks anything long into a sand trap that must be avoided.

Accuracy on this approach was paramount, and both Finau and Åberg wound up making a mess of things.

Finau’s second shot came up short, as his ball rolled all the way down the slope, settling 30 yards short of the green. He decided to bring the putter out, but that attempt failed miserably. Finau raced his putt well past the flag, and it ended up in the bunker.

The ping-ponging had begun.

“Didn’t have a very good lie. Didn’t really want to pitch it,” Finau said of his third shot.

“Ended up playing ping-pong there.”

His bunker shot then went too far, settling in an area not far from where his second shot had stopped. He wound up making a triple bogey seven, knocking him all the way down to 1-under.

“Thirteen is going to jump out at me as a hole that was the toughest pin on the whole championship, in my opinion,” Finau added.

“That green is pretty crazy right there where that pin is—just the wrong time to miss a shot. Anything can happen on this golf course. I’m just happy with the way I finished.”

Finau closed with five straight pars to card a 2-over 72.

Åberg, meanwhile, played two groups behind Finau and made a similar mistake.

“What happened to me on 13 is not ideal,” Åberg said.

Ludvig Åberg, U.S. Open — Ludvig Åberg hits out of the bunker on the 13th hole during the third round.

“It doesn’t necessarily change the way that you try to approach this golf course. I think there’s only a certain way you can play it. If you don’t play that way, you’re going to get punished. That’s what I did.”

Unlike Finau, the Swede tugged his drive on 13 into the native area left of the fairway. He then hit his second shot just short of the green, exacerbated by the severe slope in front. Then Åberg airmailed his chip into the back bunker, and he, too, began to play some ping pong.

When his game on 13 ended, Åberg penciled in a dreadful seven, sending him back to 2-under for the championship. Meanwhile, his playing partner, Bryson DeChambeau, had all the momentum in the world.

Now DeChambeau leads by three over Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay, and Matthieu Pavon at 7-under. Åberg sits five back, while Finau is six. But if not for the unlucky 13th hole, they would still have a chance to win. And yet, their ping-pong games ended in disappointment, but they ended their shots at capturing that first major title, too.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau dominates, grabs commanding lead u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,dominates,grabs,commanding,lead,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau stayed patient during the U.S. Open on Saturday, which eventually paid off for him down the stretch. He wound up firing his third straight round in the 60s, carding a third round 3-under 67. That score gives him a three-shot lead at 7-under for the championship.

He picked up an impressive 3.13 strokes with his putter, which ranks fourth during the third round. DeChambeau needed only 25 putts during round three, as he leads the field with 1.46 putts per green.

“Made a lot of great putts today. I’ll tell you that,” DeChambeau said.

“Pleased with how I struck it for the most part. Tomorrow it’s the same quote I’ve said all week—trying to have boring golf. Middle of the greens never moves, so I am going to try and hit a lot of the greens, give myself some good looks on some holes and two-putt a lot.”

He made three crucial par saves to open his round and keep pace with his fellow contenders. A bogey on the 4th dropped a shot, but it did not last, as he got it back on the par-5 5th. Another birdie followed at the 7th.

Then, during a stretch in which he made back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, DeChambeau began to battle hip tightness. That did not stop him. His lead extended to four at the par-4 14th when he sank his fifth birdie of the day.

However, a double bogey on the par-4 16th diminished the lead to two. That hiccup did not phase him as he made his sixth birdie on the day at the par-3 17 to head into Sunday with a three-shot advantage.

The crowds showed up all day for the Grapevine, Texas, resident. Like the PGA Championship, the fans could not get enough of him.

Fans chanted USA-USA-USA from DeChambeau’s opening tee shot until he walked off the course. Not to mention his hilarious “Don’t boo me, I’m sorry” comment to the crowd on 13 when he did not choose to hit driver.

Throughout the day, he spoke to fans, signed autographs and enjoyed the crowds.

“It gives me a spike in my adrenaline and allows me to focus more on delivering for the fans, myself and my family. It inspires me,” DeChambeau said.

It is massive for the fans to get behind him as a LIV Golf player. He was not a fan favorite when he played on the PGA Tour. Some liked him, and many did not.

However, things changed when he began showing off his personality through his social media and YouTube Channels. More people saw who he truly was, and for the past two major championships, the fans have gravitated toward him.

“It’s meant a lot to me. Just thinking back three years ago, the landscape was a lot different,” DeChambeau said. “I tried to show everybody who I was. I didn’t do it the right way and could have done a lot of things better.”

“I’m lucky enough to have a great team around me to help me move in the right direction with the content we’re producing, social media, and a great perspective on life. That combination of things has allowed me to not only have a new perspective but an opportunity to show myself in a different light and entertain the fans out there.”

DeChambeau has a new outlook on life, where he chooses to focus on the positive things. So far, this has grown his brand massively, especially in the majors.

He is 18 holes away from winning his second U.S. Open in four years.

DeChambeau will play alongside Frenchman Matthieu Pavon in the final group of the day. They tee off at 2:21 p.m. ET.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau hip injury shot goes viral u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,hip,injury,shot,goes,viral,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

During the third round of the U.S. Open, on the 9th hole, Jim “Bones” Mackay, the on-course reporter for NBC Sports, noted that Bryson DeChambeau had requested the presence of his “physio.”

DeChambeau’s right hip was bothering him, yet he continued to pound drive after drive, many of which went beyond 350 yards.

Despite that, after making a birdie on the par-5 10th, DeChambeau marched over to the 11th tee and received treatment from a doctor. NBC Sports caught the moment from their drone up above as DeChambeau requested the network’s on-ground camera crew to stay away.

The footage immediately went viral online.

After getting his hip stretched out, DeChambeau pounded a 359-yard drive right down the middle of the fairway. He then stuck his approach to 13 feet and drained the putt for birdie to get to 7-under, the first player to do so this week.

Yet, he supposedly has a bad hip, which caused him some discomfort on Saturday morning, per Todd Lewis of the Golf Channel.

Lewis also reported that DeChambeau can have two five-minute treatment sessions within a round. The first, obviously, took place on the 11th, leaving him with one more opportunity to stretch out during the final six holes.

Just spoke with @b_dechambeau team that’s walking with him during the 3rd round of the @usopengolf. Was told he woke up with discomfort in his right hip this morning. Has been treated on the course. Was told by rules official Bryson is allowed two five minute treatment sessions.

— Todd Lewis (@ToddLewisGC) June 15, 2024

But the 2020 U.S. Open champion looks dialed in midway through the third round. After bogeying the fourth hole to drop back to 3-under, DeChambeau made three birdies to soar into the lead by himself.

It remains to be seen what the issue is exactly, and nobody will know how he really feels until after his third round is completed.

Nevertheless, DeChambeau, who never fails to produce captivating content, produced another viral moment during Saturday’s third round at Pinehurst No. 2.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Ludvig Åberg’s daring shot breeds viral caddie moment u,s,open,ludvig,berg,s,daring,shot,breeds,viral,caddie,moment,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-fan-reactions

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Ludvig Åberg has been impressive since his PGA Tour debut last year. This week at the U.S. Open is no different, as he held the lead after 36 holes at Pinehurst No. 2.

Yet, he did not have his best stuff with him during the third round, until he arrived at the par-5 10th. After finding the fairway once again off the tee, Åberg had 289 yards left. He pulled out his 7-wood and hit it so well that it even impressed his caddie, Joe Skovron.

He hit that shot to 9 feet from the hole, but to do so, he needed to take an aggressive line over the trees. It was a risky shot regardless of the course, but at Pinehurst, it was nearly impossible.

Åberg does phenomenal things routinely on the golf course, but this was a whole new level—Skovron’s facial expression says it all. Even the young Swede gave Skovron his own goofy reaction as the ball went exactly where he wanted it to.

Fans went wild over the moment, too, but most of their reactions were about Skovron’s priceless reaction.

His reaction was you’re gong to make me rich!

— Andy froemel (@FroemelAndy) June 15, 2024

The 24-year-old narrowly missed the eagle putt and settled for birdie, but people will talk about this second shot for a long time. Most veteran players struggle to hit that shot, and Åberg made it look easy.

Very few players can hit that kind of shot, which was impressive to watch. Skovron, a veteran caddie in his own right, has seen a lot of golf; but for him to make that face proves how incredible the moment was.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Collin Morikawa ‘made everything,’ now contending u,s,open,collin,morikawa,made,everything,now,contending,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Collin Morikawa could not miss on Saturday, which explains why he posted one of the best rounds of the championship.

He carded a bogey-free 4-under 66, a round in which “everything worked well” for the two-time major champion. But most importantly, Morikawa climbed from 4-over to even par, setting himself up for a possible come-from-behind triumph at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday.

“I was trying to get to even,” Morikawa said after his third round at the U.S. Open.

“You can’t be aggressive out here, but I’m very happy.”

Morikawa did not miss a putt inside of 10 feet on Saturday, a big reason why he did not drop a shot all day. Instead, he made four birdies, three of which came on the back nine. His first birdie of the day came right out of the gate on the opening hole.

“Made up and downs, putted a lot from off the fringe. Just made the putts that I needed to,” Morikawa explained.

“[On Friday], I think I missed everything that I could have made. The first day was kind of a little bit of both. So it was nice to see putts go in. Just kind of build that, hopefully, for [Sunday].”

The former California Golden Bear gained nearly five strokes with the putter on Saturday, which ranks first in the field by a wide margin.

“I was just making sure I stuck with everything that we’ve been working on,” Morikawa said of his putting.

“It was nice to see the first one go in and build off that.”

His opening birdie came from 10 feet out—a distance that always provides a spark in momentum early in a round. Another putt from 11 feet at the 2nd hole, this time for par, also dropped. He wound up making two more par saves at the 4th and 6th holes to keep his scorecard clean early.

“My 4-under could have easily been the other way,” Morikawa said.

“When you play really smart golf out here, I wouldn’t say it’s rewarding, but you have to be able to put it in the right spots and take advantage when you do. I made the putts that I needed to. Made up and downs. Made everything essentially. That’s the only way you’re going to score out here.”

Now Morikawa will rest up for Sunday’s final round, when he will go off much later in the day than 10:39 a.m. That, of course, is when he began his third round, nine shots off the pace. But after his remarkable 66, Morikawa walked off the golf course five shots back of 36-hole leader Ludvig Åberg, and given the difficulty of Pinehurst No. 2, he could be closer to the lead by day’s end.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open: Scottie Scheffler’s putter abandons him u,s,open,scottie,scheffler,s,putter,abandons,him,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Scottie Scheffler, who started the day at 5-over after barely making the cut, could have shot a 67 or even a 66 on Saturday at the U.S. Open.

He gave himself plenty of birdie opportunities, playing much better from tee to green than the first two days of the championship. But his putter let him down again.

Scheffler lost almost two strokes on the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 on Saturday, as he ranks dead last among those that made the cut in strokes gained putting. He ultimately shot a 1-over 71 for his third round, but if he had made a few more putts, he could have climbed the leaderboard into relevancy.

Instead, he missed good look after good look, leaving a frustrated Scheffler staring into the abyss more times than not. He looked lost on the greens, something we have not seen since earlier in the year—before he switched to a mallet putter ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

His first solid chance came at the par-5 5th, where Scheffler almost got home in two. But he three-putted from off the front of the green, settling for par.

Three holes later, at the challenging par-4 8th, Scheffler finally made a birdie—his first in 26 holes, which marked the longest birdie-less streak of his career. But he gave it right back at the par-3 9th, missing a 3-footer for par.

Then, from 10 to 14, Scheffler put himself in a prime position on every hole. He had an 8-footer for birdie on the par-5 10th, and missed. On the next hole, a 9-footer for birdie finally dropped, but that would be his last birdie of the day.

At 12, Scheffler’s attempt from eight feet agonizingly slid past the hole. Had that dropped, he would have had all sorts of momentum. Then, on 13, after hitting his drive just short of the green, Scheffler could not get up-and-down for birdie, missing another putt from inside of 10 feet to settle for another par.

A bogey on 15 followed as Scheffler could not save par from short of the green. He missed another nine-footer in the process.

The World No. 1 finished with three straight pars to cap another frustrating day at Pinehurst No. 2. Perhaps he can convert some of these opportunities during Sunday’s final round, but at any rate, it will prove too little too late. He will not win his first U.S. Open this time around, despite entering the tournament with astonishingly low odds.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

U.S. Open fans go crazy for Cameron Smith’s boozy polo u,s,open,fans,go,crazy,for,cameron,smith,s,boozy,polo,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-fan-reactions,liv-golf

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

LIV Golf’s Cameron Smith is not afraid to test the fashion limits on the golf course.

Look no further than Saturday at the U.S. Open, when he showed up to Pinehurst No. 2 with a “booze” polo and the same white Ripper GC hat he wears for every round.

While Smith’s polo is not everyone’s style—it is for someone. Golf fashion is subjective, and this choice proves that. It is not for everyone, but neither is what Jason Day or Viktor Hovland wears.

It did not take long for golf fans to see the shirt and post it on social media. Would the masses love it or find it offputting?

Is this polo a vibe or something that should stay in the closet?

Well, fans loved it, and their positive reactions to his boozy shirt were plentiful.

The people have spoken, and this shirt is a vibe. Check out some of the best reactions to Smith’s out-of-the-box fashion choice.

X user and golf reporter Christopher Powers is spot on with his remarks; not many people could pull this off, but Smith can. The blonde mustache and mullet are the perfect additions to this fun polo.

If a beer story is not among the flashcards on the shirt, the designers need to change this immediately because Smith is notorious for celebrating by chugging a beer out of a shoe. With him wearing this polo, hopefully, it honors his favorite cocktail.

X user, Broken White Sox Fan, made quite the statement with his post. He clearly loves it, and for Smith to wear it at one of the three majors is something to note. While many players take fashion risks at the four biggest tournaments, this takes that to another level.

Smith‘s clothing sponsor is Original Penguin, notorious for its traditional and bold options.

Those who like this option can purchase it on their website. It is a unique shirt that will likely get plenty of comments. The fans love it for Smith at the U.S. Open, so it is hard to criticize it.

Golf fashion has a broad spectrum, and this shirt has a place on it.

Golf Talk Today: U.S. Open Rd. 3 Tee Times, Ludvig Åberg’s Pinehurst magic golf,talk,today,u,s,open,rd,tee,times,ludvig,berg,s,pinehurst,magic,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, where the crew will discuss various elements throughout the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, and more.

It’s Moving Day at the 124th U.S. Open.

Ludvig Åberg leads the field by one shot in his U.S. Open debut. He is eying some magic from Pinehurst as he attempts to win his first major championship. However, he will have to hold off some talented players like Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau and more.

The round 3 tee times are below, but let’s also discuss how much carnage Pinehurst caused for some of the biggest names in golf.

So brew a pot of coffee, grab some breakfast, and settle in as we get you ready for the third round of the U.S. Open.

Pinehurst No. 2 sends some massive names home early

The PGA Tour and LIV Golf players sweated it out on Friday at Pinehurst. After two rounds of play, 20 golfers are at even par or better. The top 60 and ties make the weekend at the U.S. Open, so over half the field went home.

Popular golfers who missed the cut at Pinehurst No. 2
Viktor Hovland: 6-over, 78-68
Max Homa: 6-over, 71-75
Justin Rose: 6-over, 73-73
Tiger Woods: 4-over, 74-73
Rickie Fowler: 8-over, 71-77
Jason Day: 8-over, 71-77
Dustin Johnson: 9-over, 74-75

Check out the complete list of who missed the cut at the U.S. Open.

Ludvig Åberg aims to ma

U.S. Open Round 3 Tee Times (ET):

*Everyone tees off from the 1st tee

8:44 a.m. — Ryan Fox, Sahith Theegala

8:55 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari

9:06 a.m. — Matthew Fitzpatrick, Max Greyserman

9:17 a.m. — Justin Lower, Dean Burmester

9:28 a.m. — Tom McKibbin, Brandon Wu

9:39 a.m. — Luke Clanton (a), Brendon Todd

9:50 a.m. — Ben Kohles, Shane Lowry

10:01 a.m. — Cameron Young, Scottie Scheffler

10:12 a.m. — Tommy Fleetwood, Greyson Sigg

10:23 a.m. — Austin Eckroat, David Puig

10:50 a.m. — J.T. Poston, Wyndham Clark

11:01 a.m. — Aaron Rai, Neal Shipley (a)

11:12 a.m. — Si Woo Kim, Daniel Berger

11:23 a.m. — Matt Kuchar, Cameron Smith

11:34 a.m. — Gunnar Broin (a), Brian Campbell

11:45 a.m. — Martin Kaymer, Jordan Spieth

11:56 a.m. — Harris English, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

12:07 p.m. — Adam Svensson, Mark Hubbard

12:18 p.m. — Isaiah Salinda, Davis Thompson

12:29 p.m. — Min Woo Lee, Emiliano Grillo

12:45 p.m. — Denny McCarthy, Adam Scott

12:56 p.m. — Chris Kirk, Jackson Suber

1:07 p.m. — Sepp Straka, Brian Harman

1:18 p.m. — Nico Echavarria, Sam Bennett

1:29 p.m. — Nicolai Højgaard, S.H. Kim

1:40 p.m. — Frankie Capan III, Taylor Pendrith

1:51 p.m. — Russell Henley, Sergio Garcia

2:02 p.m. — Stephan Jaeger, Sam Burns

2:13 p.m. — Billy Horschel, Zac Blair

2:40 p.m. — Akshay Bhatia, Xander Schauffele

2:51 p.m. — Tyrrell Hatton, Tom Kim

3:02 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Matthieu Pavon

3:13 p.m. — Tony Finau, Rory McIlroy

3:24 p.m. — Patrick Cantlay, Thomas Detry

3:35 p.m. — Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Åberg

ICYMI: Top stories from the 2nd Round of the U.S. Open

Check out these stories:

Francesco Molinari does unthinkable; makes U.S. Open cut with improbable hole-in-one

Tiger Woods misses U.S. Open cut, provides update on 2024 golf plans

Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Åberg highlight 5 U.S. Open outfits we love

Sahith Theegala’s surreal U.S. Open chip-in has fans, NBC broadcasters going nuts

Rory McIlroy fails to cash in, convert opportunities in U.S. Open pursuit

Bryson DeChambeau delighted by his patience, honors U.S. Open legend in big way

Tiger Woods misses U.S. Open cut, updates 2024 golf plans tiger,woods,misses,u,s,open,cut,updates,golf,plans,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,tiger-woods,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Despite the stars aligning regarding the hot weather, favorable tee times, and his history at Pinehurst No. 2, Tiger Woods has missed the cut at the 2024 U.S. Open.

He shot a 3-over 73 on Friday, one day after signing for a 4-over 74. The 15-time major winner made his only birdie of the day at the par-4 4th, but then made four bogies over his next 14 holes to miss the cut by two.

“Well, it was probably the highest score I could have possibly shot today,” Woods assessed after.

“I hit a lot of good shots that just didn’t quite go my way, or I hit good putts, and then I put myself in a couple of bad spots with some bad lag putts. But again, as I said, it was probably the highest score I could have shot today.”

Woods admitted to feeling agitated, not because of his ailments but due to his results.

“It is frustrating because I’m not here to have a chance to win on the weekend,” Woods said.

“Granted, my ball-striking and felt like my putting was good enough to be in contention, and I’m not.”

Despite what Woods said, he ranked 131st in strokes gained approach and 106th in strokes gained putting. He hit the ball well off the tee but did not strike enough solid iron shots to make the weekend. He also missed plenty of opportunities, with none hurting more than his birdie attempt on the par-3 15th, which lipped out at the end.

“15 hurt. That was a sweet little 7-iron in there and a good putt, high-side lip. If I make that putt, it flips the momentum, and I’m looking pretty good,” Woods said.

“Instead, I’m on the wrong side of the cut line and having to do something good on the last three holes, which I end up hitting a sweet shot out of the trouble on 16, and I thought I holed my bunker shot at 17.”

Alas, it was not meant to be for Woods, who also laid out his plans for the rest of the 2024 season.

“I’ve only got one more tournament this season,” Woods added.

“Even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the Playoffs. Just one more event and then I’ll come back whenever I come back.”

Woods made his way to the U.S. Open this week via a special invitation. The United States Golf Association (USGA) created a special exemption for Woods, who has won nine USGA championships in his career: three U.S. Junior Amateurs, three U.S. Amateurs, and three U.S. Opens. He won his Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateurs over six straight years in the 1990s, perhaps his most underrated accomplishment.

Whether or not he will tee it up in a USGA championship in the future remains to be seen.

“As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don’t know what that is,” Woods added.

“It may or may not be.”

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas stumble, miss U.S. Open cut tiger,woods,justin,thomas,stumble,miss,u,s,open,cut,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

On: June 15, 2024 By: admin

Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas are just two of the big names to miss the cut at the 124th U.S. Open.

Woods, a 3-time U.S. Open champion, carded a 3-over 73 on Friday to miss the weekend by two shots. Thomas, meanwhile, looked lost all week at Pinehurst No. 2, finishing at 11-over through 36 holes. The two-time PGA champion has missed the cut in five of his last seven majors, an alarming trend for the Louisville, Kentucky native.

But plenty of others will head home early, too.

Viktor Hovland opened the 2024 U.S. Open with an eye-opening 8-over 78. He fought hard to make the weekend on Friday, battling back after making a double-bogey at the par-4 8th with four birdies, but he fell short in the end. Two bogies over his final three holes cost the Norwegian dearly, as he missed the cut by a stroke at 6-over par.

Also finishing at 6-over was Robert MacIntyre, who recently won the RBC Canadian with his father on the bag. Unfortunately for the Scotsman, he will have no reason to celebrate this time around.

Max Homa, Eric Cole, and PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap also finished at 6-over, with Homa being the biggest surprise of this trio. Yet, Homa has missed the cut at the U.S. Open in four of his five starts, with the outlier being a tie for 47th at the Country Club at Brookline in 2022.

Canadians Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor will also head home early, finishing at 7-over and 8-over, respectively. Australian Jason Day also totaled an 8-over score, a surprise given that this course suits his game nicely.

Others who finished at 8-over include Will Zalatoris, Webb Simpson, Will Zalatoris, Rickie Fowler, and one of SB Nation’s Dark Horses, Alex Noren of Sweden.

Dustin Johnson ended his second round at 9-over, as he has looked completely lost in major championships this season. So, too, has Phil Mickelson, who finished at 15-over after shooting a 79 on Thursday and a 76 on Friday.

Plenty of big names faltered at Pinehurst No. 2, but the big name favorite—Scottie Scheffler—made the cut on the number.

In all, 74 players earned third-round tee times, and play will commence first thing on Saturday, which promises to be another thrilling day in the North Carolina sandhills.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.