Thriston Lawrence's rollercoaster second round at the 2025 US Open

IOL News

13 hours ago

Thriston Lawrence of South Africa hits an approach shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on Friday.
Image: Patrick Smith / Getty Images via AFP
South Africa's Thriston Lawrence had a rollercoaster day during the second round of the 2025 US Open at the demanding Oakmont on Friday as many big names faltered
After going into the Friday's action in second place following an opening round of 67, Lawrence made six bogeys and a double to shoot four-over par on Friday. However, in true Lawrence's fashion, he also made a handful of birdies and some clutch par saves out of the thick rough to leave him for sixth place.
Meanwhile, Sam Burns matched the third-best US Open round ever fired at Oakmont, shooting a five-under par 65 to seize a one-stroke lead 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," Burns said. "There's obviously a lot of golf left on a very tough course."
The only two US Open rounds at Oakmont lower than Burns's 65 were Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973 and a 64 by Loren Roberts in the 1994 third round.
American JJ 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 number 14 Hovland marvelled 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 local time with 13 golfers yet to finish their second rounds.
World number two 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, who needed a win to complete a career Grand Slam.
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Spain's Jon Rahm were seven adrift on 144. Scheffler fired a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies.
"Felt like me getting away with one-over today wasn't all that bad," Scheffler said. "It could have been a lot worse."
Rahm fired a frustrating 75.
"I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm said. "Very frustrated. Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole."
'A punch in the face'
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."
Back-nine starter Burns drained a 21-foot birdie putt at 11, a six-footer to birdie the par-three 13th and back-to-back short birdie putts at 17 and 18.
Burns answered a bogey at the first with a five-foot birdie putt at the second and reached the green in two to set up a tap-in birdie at the par-five fourth hole, then parred into the clubhouse, sinking a 22-foot par putt at the ninth to close his round.