When a U.S. Open is contested on a beast of a layout like Oakmont Country Club, volatility is expected along with lots of carnage.
Thursday’s opening round of the 125th edition of this championship – the 10th on this venerable western Pennsylvania cathedral – certainly had all of that, with just 10 sub-70 scores and one of the highest scoring averages (74.64) in the last 25 years.
Nothing changed much in 24 hours.
Friday’s scoring average was slightly higher (74.75) as the course continued to firm up, and while much of the 156-player field struggled with the 5-inch rough and Stimpmeter readings starting at 15 feet and settling into the upper 14s, there were some spectacular performances, none better than the 5-under-par 65 produced by Sam Burns.
A five-time PGA Tour winner coming off a playoff defeat to Ryan Fox in last week’s RBC Canadian Open, the 28-year-old Burns matched the third-lowest round in a U.S. Open held at Oakmont. It is only bettered by Johnny Miller’s remarkable final-round 63 to win the 1973 U.S. Open and Loren Roberts’ 64 in 1994, when he and Colin Montgomerie later lost in a Monday playoff to Ernie Els.
Coming off a first-round, 2-over-par 72 when he played his final four holes in 5 over par, the former Louisiana State University All-American posted a 36-hole total of 3-under 137, good enough for a one-stroke advantage over first-round leader J.J. Spaun (66-72).
Viktor Hovland, of Norway, who followed a 71 with a 68, was the only other player to finish in red figures at the midway point. It’s the fewest players under par through 36 holes in a U.S. Open since just one (Dustin Johnson) achieved the feat in 2018 at Shinnecock Hills.
That Oakmont volatility victimized South African Thriston Lawrence. After a Thursday 67, the four-time winner on the DP World Tour briefly got it to 6 under par before running into the challenging outward nine, which played 2.1 strokes higher than the inward nine (38.45 to 36.3). He was 3 over through his final eight holes, with a 4-foot par putt remaining to complete Round 2.
Play was suspended for the day at 8:15 p.m. EDT for dangerous weather, with 13 players still on the course. Round 2 will resume on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m., followed by the start of Round 3 at approximately 9 a.m.
Adam Scott, playing in his 96th consecutive major championship, and the suddenly hot Ben Griffin each posted even-par 140, along with Thomas Detry.
The cut came is likely to come at 7-over 147, with multiple major champions Scottie Scheffler (144), Rory McIlroy (146), Brooks Koepka (142), Jordan Spieth (145), Jon Rahm (144), Collin Morikawa (144) and Xander Schauffele (146), who has now made 66 consecutive cuts in PGA Tour co-sponsored events (the tour’s longest current streak), earning weekend tee times.
Maybe it was apropos that Miller was on property Friday, visiting with NBC lead golf announcer Dan Hicks for a reunion. The two worked side by side for a number of years during the former’s tenure at the network (1990-2019), and Miller always relishes returning to the site of his greatest achievement.
When strokes gained against the field are taken into consideration, Burns was 9.75 shots better than the second-round average. Miller’s Sunday charge was 10.77 better than the field average. Of course, Burns’ effort came in Round 2 as compared to the final round for Miller.
-Written by
David Shefter
USGA.
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