US Open round two: McIlroy battling to make cut, Burns & Lawrence lead

BBC News

16 hours ago

Update:
Date: 22:49 BST
Title: Spaun drops out of lead
Content: Spaun -2 (16)
JJ Spaun can't see the putting surface despite only being about two yards from it. That's because his ball is buried at the bottom of a six-foot high bank that leads up to the green. He pops his ball out with ease but he's going to have a 12-footer to save par.
Another tentative putt and his ball wanders off right. Successive bogeys but still Sam Burns isn't the sole leader...
Update:
Date: 22:48 BST
Title: DeChambeau in danger
Content: Schauffele +4, DeChambeau +8 (14*)
Bryson DeChambeau spits his ball out of the bunker and over the hole it squirts leaving a gnarly putt from 18 feet for bogey.
He misses that and suddenly he's at +8 - and the cut is at +7.
Bad time to make a double bogey.
Playing partner Xander Schauffele also drops a shot but he's much safer at four over par.
Update:
Date: 22:44 BST
Title: Post
Content: Lawrence -2 (9*)
It took Thriston Lawrence three hours and seven minutes to play his first nine holes.
But now on his (easier ahem) back nine, he almost eagles the first and will have a tap in for birdie.
Update:
Date: 22:44 BST
Title: Post
Content: Spaun -3 (15)
A couple of marshals go scurrying into the cabbage to the right of the 16th green. They are hunting for JJ Spaun's ball after the American leaked his tee shot on the par-three hole.
Three to play JJ, don't let it slide now.
Update:
Date: 22:40 BST
Title: Post
Content: DeChambeau +6 (13*)
Problems for defending champion Bryson DeChambeau at the fifth and he looks to the heavens as his third shot ends up buried in a greenside bunker.
He'll need to hole that to make par.
Two above the projected cut line, it's about damage limitation here.
Update:
Date: 22:39 BST
Title: Spaun drops into share of lead
Content: Spaun -3 (15)
Slow down JJ, slow down. He hits an express train putt on the 15th that leaves him a six-footer for par. And he gives that a tentative stab wide right. Shot gone.
Sam Burns will be sitting in his rented house, munching popcorn and loving the fact he's suddenly in a share of the lead.
Update:
Date: 22:36 BST
Title: Post
Content: Rose +14 (13)
Justin Rose carded an eight on the par-five 12th after having a bit of a nightmare getting out of a fairway bunker.
He now birdies the 13th. What a funny old game this is.
Still the Englishman, who lost in a play-off to Rory McIlroy at Augusta National earlier this season, will be getting a weekend off.
Update:
Date: 22:32 BST
Title: Birdie for Scott
Content: Scott E (14)
Impressive from Adam Scott who follows up that bogey at the last with an immediate rebound birdie at the 14th.
The 2013 Masters champion isn't going anywhere.
Update:
Date: 22:31 BST
Title: Post
Content: Lawrence -2 (9*)
Thriston Lawrence hasn't hit that long par putt and is trending in the wrong direction after such a positive start to the day.
The South African has work to do just to come off the 18th with a five but holds his nerve to sink a tricky six footer.
Update:
Date: 22:30 BST
Title: Post
Content: Spaun -4 (14)
JJ Spaun doesn't look overly pleased with his second into the 15th. But from 180 yards, to finish pin-high, 25 feet from the hole would seem a reasonable effort.
Update:
Date: 22:28 BST
Title: Post
Content: McIlroy +8 (12)
Rory McIlroy was positively simmering after a poor second shot but he gets his fourth down to four feet and tidies up to save his par to keep himself in with a decent shout of making the weekend.
Update:
Date: 22:25 BST
Title: Bogey-free Mav on the climb
Content: McNealy +3 (13)
The wonderfully named Maverick McNealy is the only man yet to card a bogey in round two.
The American has just birdied the short 13th, his third of the day, and is making a significant move up the leaderboard.
Update:
Date: 22:24 BST
Title: Post
Content: Lawrence -3 (8*)
Thriston Lawrence has a horrible lie about 15 feet from the pin but he's in rough and has virtually no control over his chip which squirts out to 50 feet.
Tough putt to save par from there.
Update:
Date: 22:20 BST
Title: Frustrated McIlroy throws club down the fairway
Content: McIlroy +8 (11)
Rory McIlroy is fuming and shows his frustration as he tosses one of his irons down the 12th fairway after a wayward approach to the green that flies left straight into the rough.
He chunks his third into the green but it rolls off to the thicker stuff on the fringe.
Update:
Date: 22:19 BST
Title: Lip-out for Spaun
Content: Spaun -4 (14)
JJ Spaun has a good look at a birdie on the 14th to move two clear. The ball is right on line but catches the left edge, completes three-quarters of a circle and eventually decides to stay above ground.
Update:
Date: 22:17 BST
Title: Birdie for Lefty
Content: Mickelson +4 (11)
Phil Mickelson turns 55 the day after this tournament finishes. He has said it's likely to be his last crack at his national championship - the only one of the four majors he's failed to win - six times a runner-up though.
There's life in the old dog yet. A birdie on the 11th is keeping him well inside the cut mark.
Update:
Date: 22:15 BST
Title: Bogey for Scott
Content: Scott +1 (13)
Adam Scott's in the bunker at the par-three 13th and can't get up and down to save his par.
He'll drop back to one over - still in the top 10 though.
Update:
Date: 22:09 BST
Title: Post
Content: Spaun -4 (13)
JJ Spaun pummels his drive down the right side of the 14th fairway, leaving himself 117 yards to the flag.
He's not super-aggressive with his approach, flying his ball 10 yards past the hole and getting a touch of backspin.
Update:
Date: 22:05 BST
Title: Post
Content: Scott E (12)
We do finally get footage of Adam Scott completing the 12th hole and he's putting for a birdie from distance.
No joy - he'll stay at level par, four off the lead.
Update:
Date: 22:04 BST
Title: Post
Content: Lawrence -3 (8*)
Thriston Lawrence finds the long prairie-style grass on the 305-yard par-four 17th going for the green.
He looks in a world of trouble but somehow, he not only finds his ball in there but chips it out to 18 feet and then saves his par.