US Open leader Spaun gets his second round underway, Scheffler struggles
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania :Overnight U.S. Open leader J.J. Spaun got his second round underway on Friday at Oakmont Country Club where pre-tournament favourite and world number one Scottie Scheffler was unable to play his way into contention.
Spaun, who carded the only bogey-free round at Oakmont on Thursday for a one-shot lead, set off from the first tee under cloudy skies and with a slew of players breathing down his neck and started his day with a par.
Among the early starters, Sam Burns fired a five-under-par 65 that left him one back of Spaun and level with South African Thriston Lawrence, who was scheduled to tee off at 2:20 p.m. ET (1820 GMT) from the 10th tee.
Viktor Hovland, who went out from the back nine, chipped in from the greenside rough for eagle at the par-four 17th en route to a 68 that brought him to one under on the week and three shots off the lead.
Scheffler, whose opening 73 was the worst first-round score relative to par of his majors career, mixed four birdies and five bogeys for a one-over 71 that left him at four over on the week.
The PGA Championship winner is still well inside the projected seven over cut line but has plenty of work to do if he hopes to collect a fourth major title this week.
South Koreans Kim Si-woo, who was two shots off the pace after the first round, went out in the afternoon wave.
Holder Bryson DeChambeau and Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who both struggled in the opening round, also went out late and were in the early stages of their second round.
Five-times major winner Brooks Koepka, one of 14 LIV Golf players in the field, started his day two shots off the pace but dropped back after returning a 74 that featured eight bogeys, including at his final two holes.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Independent Singapore
6 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Grand Slam Track finals cancelled, organizers to secure new investors and partnerships for 2026
Photo: Freepik CALIFORNIA, USA: The final event of the Grand Slam Track (GST), an athletic event backed by Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, has been cancelled. The fourth and last meeting was initially scheduled from Jun 27 to 29 in Los Angeles. It was reported that the cancellation was due to financial difficulties, and Johnson announced that the organizers will now shift their focus to planning and improving the athletic series for next year's season. The GST founder and commissioner expressed: 'The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world's premier track league… Our attention is now on 2026.' GST's inaugural season this year The first year of the Grand Slam Track started in Kingston, Jamaica (Apr 4 to 6), and was followed by events in Miami, Florida (May 2 to 4), and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 31 to Jun 1). Although the final meet at Drake Stadium will not take place, the organizers have admitted that the first three meetings were a success. Now, they are set to announce that new investors will help fund GST's second season. Johnson's stated that they have ' successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season.' Furthermore, he added: 'We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing, and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far… As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve.' 'Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league.' Some of the top athletes have signed multi-year contracts with the Grand Slam Track, and this secures their participation for future seasons. Moreover, the league plans to announce new investors and partners soon. In a social media post made by Grand Slam Track, the league announced that all fans who purchased tickets for the Los Angeles meet will receive a refund. It was said in the caption: 'For those of you who had already purchased tickets for the LA Slam, thank you! You will be issued an automatic refund… We hope you'll join us next season ❤️.' See also Big holes in pockets for World Cup Qatar fans Netizens have mixed reactions in the comments section. Some remarked: 'I was so soooo looking forward to this,' 'Soooo disappointed! Please revamp and come back to LA next year!' 'Shout out GST LA on making history for being the first Slam to get cancelled 🔥🔥,' and 'Are you going to refund my hotel and flights, too?'.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sam Burns fires 65 to grab US Open lead as big names stumble
Sam Burns of the US on the green of the ninth hole during the second round of the US Open. EPA-EFE OAKMONT – Sam Burns matched the third-best US Open round ever fired at Oakmont, shooting a five-under 65 to seize a one-stroke lead after the second round on June 13 as big names struggled. The 28-year-old American made six birdies against a lone bogey to stand on three-under 137 after 36 holes on the punishing layout. 'It felt like I played really well. Today was really nice,' he said. 'But there's obviously a lot of golf left on a very tough course.' The only two US Open rounds at Oakmont lower than Burns' 65 were Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973 and a 64 by Loren Roberts in the 1994 third round. American J.J. Spaun made bogeys on three of the last four holes to shoot 72 and stand second on 138 with Norway's Viktor Hovland third on 139 after a 68 – the top trio being the only players under par after 36 holes. 'I was definitely anxious to get back out here and see how the game would pan out, and it ended up being a pretty good day,' Spaun said. 'It was more of a true US Open round, a lot of back and forth, a lot of grinding, bogeys. It was still an overall good day. I'm still right there.' World No. 14 Hovland marveled at 22nd-ranked Burns and his stunning round. 'Super impressive,' Hovland called it. 'It just feels like you have to play absolutely perfect and have some good breaks going your way, as well, but it's definitely doable.' Heavy rains drenched Oakmont, halting play for the day at 8.15pm. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy struggled to make the cut, with double bogeys at the first and third holes, but sank a five-foot birdie putt at the 18th to shoot 72 and stand on 146, securing a spot inside the low 60 and ties to make the weekend. Bryson DeChambeau fired a 77 to stand on 150 and miss the cut, the first defending champion to miss the US Open cut since Gary Woodland in 2020. Also missing the cut was six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Spain's Jon Rahm were seven adrift on 144. Scheffler fired a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies, while Rahm carded a frustrating 75. With few exceptions, Oakmont was delivering blows to golf's top talent. 'Everyone seems like they're exhausted when they come in off the course just because it's a punch in the face,' American Denny McCarthy said. 'It just takes a lot out of you.' Burns, who shared ninth at last year's US Open for his best Major finish, last won at the 2023 WGC Match Play, but he fired a Sunday 62 before losing a Canadian Open play-off last week. 'I felt like my game was in good form coming in here,' he added. Australian Adam Scott and American Ben Griffin shared fourth on 140. France's Victor Perez aced the par-three sixth hole from 192 yards, hitting the 54th hole-in-one in US Open history but only the second ace at a US Open at Oakmont. He shot 70 to stand sixth on 141. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
10 hours ago
- CNA
DeChambeau, Mickelson among notables to miss US Open cut
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania :Defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and record six-times runner-up Phil Mickelson were the high-profile players to miss the halfway cut at Oakmont Country Club on Friday. DeChambeau, who was bidding to become the first repeat U.S. Open champion since Brooks Koepka in 2018, carded a seven-over-par 77 in the second round that left him at 10 over on the week and three shots outside the projected seven over cut line. The big-hitting DeChambeau, a fan favorite who went close at the year's first two majors, looked to be in a decent spot after the opening round but made three consecutive bogeys late in his front nine on Friday and could not recover. Mickelson, in the last year of a five-year exemption into the U.S. Open for winning the 2021 PGA Championship, finished eight over on the week in his latest bid to complete the career Grand Slam of golf's four majors. Four of the top 10 players in the world ranking missed the cut, a group that in addition to DeChambeau included Justin Thomas, Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka.
