Woeful start for McIlroy

New York Times

9 hours ago

Burns shot a 65 to gain a one-stroke lead over J.J. Spaun with only Viktor Hovland joining them under par as familiar faces struggled Getty Images
Sam Burns' sterling score of 65 highlighted Round 2 of the 2025 U.S. Open at Pennsylvania's Oakmont Country Club.
Burns shot a second-round 65, and at 3 under, he has a one-shot lead over first-round leader J.J. Spaun. Viktor Hovland is at 1 under. No other players are under par, thanks to late second-round collapses from Thriston Lawrence and Thomas Detry, among others.
Several more prominent golfers continued struggle with the challenging course at Oakmont. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is at 4-over-par, seven strokes back of the lead. Rory McIlroy, the 2025 Masters champion who nearly won this event last year, barely made the cut. Bryson DeChambeau, who edged out McIlroy to win the 2024 U.S. Open, missed the cut entirely.
Some heavy downpours in the evening forced the horn to sound at roughly 8:15 p.m. ET with a few golfers still on the course, just finishing up their last handful of holes. The USGA is expected to finish second-round play early Saturday. Follow live coverage here. -3: Burns
-2: Spaun
-1: Hovland
E: Adam Scott, Ben Griffin, Thomas Detry Connections: Sports Edition Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms
Oh dear. Rory McIlroy can only dig his ball out of the fairway bunker, immediately ending any faint hopes he might have had of starting his round with a birdie. He then catches a flier out of the rough, his ball bouncing hard on the green before disappearing into the lush green cabbage at the back of the green.
He's able to wedge out of that at the first time of asking, which is something, but is left with an 18ft putt for bogey, which he misses.
So it's an opening double and he slides back to +6. Getty Images
Sam Burns fired himself into contention with a superb 65 today and has just been interviewed by Sky Sports in the UK.
💬 He said: 'Yesterday I played extremely well. It was tough to finish how I did but today was all about reframing yesterday. I needed to get back mentally, because it feels as though my game is in a good spot. And it was really solid.
'You have to be on the fairway around here. The rough is just so tough. So driving the ball well is extremely important and I was able to do that today.' Getty Images
Brooks Koepka started so well today before somewhat fading away, eventually shooting a 74 to head into the weekend at +2. He's back on the range with Pete Cowan, no doubt trying to work out some kinks ahead of this third round tomorrow. Getty Images
Rory McIlroy really struggled on the front nine yesterday, after an impressive start to his round on the back.
… and, unfortunately for the reigning Masters champion, it's not a great start on the first today. He dumps his drive in one of the fairway bunkers down the left. Getty Images
James Nicholas with an up and down day.
The American, who was up at the top of the field after a fine 69 yesterday, endured a terrible front nine.
A double bogey on the first, a quadruple on the fifth, and three successive bogeys from Holes 7 through 9.
After the turn, he's warming up again. Two pars, then three consecutive birdies, finally bring a grin to his face.
Big cheers from the fans, and he raises his arms to ask for more. Great that he's having fun out there on an extremely tricky course. Hugh Kellenberger/The Athletic
The organized chaos that is No. 9 green, which doubles as a practice green, is really something.
And that's before you add on the scores of fans walking right next to it. Getty Images
Here is Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champ, who receives plenty of cheers, whoops and hollers ahead of his first strike.
His tee shot is slightly to the side, in the semi-rough. Decent lie.
Can he put himself in a good position for the weekend with an under-par round today?
He's not wearing Tiger red today, instead opting for a patriotic blue and white number. Getty Images
Brooks Koepka finishes off a 4-over-par 74 with back-to-back bogeys. The two-time U.S. Open winner is at 2 over after two rounds.
He had eight bogeys today. He's still only six shots off the lead, but it's not the type of round we expected from Koepka, who was in a confident spot after his 68 in the first round. Getty Images
The first green at Oakmont puts your local crazy golf course to shame.
It slopes rapidly away from the player, which meant J.J. Spaun only had to give his 30ft birdie putt attempt from the front of the green the lightest of tickles.
And it's a great effort, trickling its way a fraction past the cup, to leave the easiest of pars.
A confident start from our leader. Getty Images
Oh, Sam Burns, what a putt.
He judges a curling left-to-right putt up the hill on the ninth to absolute perfection and the ball drops to cheers.
He's followed yesterday's 72 with a 65 today. Round of his life?
The average round is trending between 74 and 75! Getty Images
The long par-three eighth is such a beast of a hole. Viktor Hovland is its latest victim, carding a bogey that sees him slide back to -1 for the tournament, in a tie for fifth.
He didn't get nearly enough on his tee shot which left a fairly ludicrous 77ft putt. He got it to within 15ft but that's a lot to make par and in the end he had to settle for a bogey.
Ouch, Sam Burns had to take a penalty drop on the ninth, the final hole of his second round.
The American, currently tied second and a shot off the leader J.J. Spaun, just pinged the ball up to the green with his third shot at the par four.
It will be a very tricky putt for par. I reckon he'll do well to finish with a bogey, which would be just the second of his fantastic Friday.
Let's see... Getty Images
Rory McIlroy is out on the range warming up. He's away in half an hour. Like J.J. Spaun, he'll be starting his round on the difficult first hole.
McIlroy once again skipped talking to the media yesterday after his disappointing opening 74.
He has come in for some criticism for this decision, as you would probably expect and, speaking on Sky Sports, Paul McGinley has said he's surprised by McIlroy's silence.
💬 He said: 'Not doing the media is very un-Rory like. The guy who's probably the best in the media has decided now for, what, five rounds in a row at majors not to engage at all with anybody.
'It speaks more to him being not being contented at all, which is surprising after completing the Grand Slam.' Getty Images
Sam Burns is currently on pace for 10.88 strokes gained total. That number will change throughout the day.
Nobody has gained 11 or more strokes on the field in a U.S. Open round since 1980, when Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf both opened with 63s at Baltusrol.
Here we go then… J.J. Spaun is ready to tee off on the very intimidating first.
But Tom Kim is up first. The 22-year-old, who is +2 for the tournament, hasn't been having a great season and misses the fairway to the left.
Next up is our overnight leader. He found the short stuff with his tee shot on this hole yesterday and does so again today. It's a peach, battered right down the middle of the fairway and he's in position A1.
J.J. Spaun, the leader of the 2025 U.S. Open, has wrapped up his pre-round practice and is making his way to the first hole.
He's starting on the tougher front nine and is going to have to roll with the punches until he hits the turn. Getty Images
As if to underscore the point of how hard life is here at Oakmont Country Club, only seven players are under par.
Out of 156! Getty Images
Scottie Scheffler is starting to right the ship as his second round winds down. The world No. 1 knocks in a six-footer for birdie to improve to 3-over-par with two holes to play.
Viktor Hovland remains at 2 under after lagging his 76-foot birdie putt to two feet from the cup.
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