US Open Cut: Big Names Out as Burns Takes Lead After Round 2
US Open Round 2 at Oakmont is complete, and the leaderboard has shifted. The course played tough again, and as a result, the US Open Cut has taken out many big names. Only the top 60 and ties will play the weekend, and several high-profile players won’t be among them.
🔻 Notable Players Who Missed the US Open Cut
A handful of Europe’s best are heading home early. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Ludvig Åberg, and Tommy Fleetwood have all missed the cut. They struggled to find rhythm over two days at Oakmont’s brutal layout.
Several others also fell short, including Byeong Hun An, Erik van Rooyen, Min Woo Lee, Cameron Smith, Nick Dunlap, Justin Thomas, Nico Echavarria, and Phil Mickelson. These players couldn’t recover from early mistakes, and their hopes of contending ended before the weekend.
Even former champions didn’t escape the carnage. Dustin Johnson, Lucas Glover, Wyndham Clark, Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau, and Gary Woodland are all out after falling below the cut line. Despite past success, Oakmont proved too demanding this time around.
🔥 Sam Burns Lights It Up
The round of the day belonged to Sam Burns. As predicted in our dark horse picks before the tournament, he has quietly surged to the top. Burns hit 9 of 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation. His iron play was sharp, and his putting even better. He made six birdies in the round and only one bogey on the 1st hole, where his approach flew the green and left him with a tough up-and-down. That bogey was his only blemish, and all but one of his birdies came from inside 10 feet. With a two-round total of 137, he now leads at -3.
⛳ Spaun Slips but Stays Close
Overnight leader J.J. Spaun looked steady early on. He made his first bogey of the tournament on hole 3, but quickly bounced back with a birdie. However, the back nine proved difficult. Spaun had three bogeys over the final four holes, including one on 18 that dropped him to -2. He shot a 72 (+2) for the day and now sits one stroke behind Burns heading into the weekend.
🚀 Hovland Makes a Charge
Viktor Hovland came out firing. He made early birdies at 10 and 12, then chipped in for eagle at 17. After making the turn at three under for the round, he ran into some trouble on the front side. Still, despite a double bogey and a few dropped shots, he signed for a 68 (-2). That strong round moved him into solo third at -1, just two shots off the lead.
🔁 Solid Play from Scott and Griffin
Two players share fourth place at even par: Adam Scott and Ben Griffin. Scott delivered another clean round, with three birdies and three bogeys for an even-par 70. That’s the same score he posted in Round 1, showing consistency under pressure. We highlighted him as one of our pre-tournament picks, and he’s living up to it.
Griffin, a two-time PGA Tour winner this season, followed up his opening 69 with a 71. His second round included two birdies and three bogeys. He’s holding steady and will start the weekend well within reach of the leaders.
🕳️ Ace and Strong Finishes Highlight Top 10
Victor Perez provided one of the moments of the day with a hole-in-one. He finished with a solid round of 70 and is currently tied for sixth. He shares that spot with Thriston Lawrence, who has one hole to play but is at +4 on the day. Just outside the top five, four more names complete the top 10: Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Thomas Detry, and Si Woo Kim. Each of them is still very much in the hunt as Oakmont continues to challenge every part of a player’s game.
📉 Names Still in Contention after making the US Open Cut
- +4: Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa
- +5: Jordan Spieth, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim
- +6: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
- +7: Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama, Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick, Brian Harman, Cam Davis
🧠 Weekend Outlook
The US Open Cut has done its job, leaving only the most resilient players to battle it out on the weekend. Everyone within ten strokes of the lead still has a chance. The course is hard but fair. One hot stretch could launch someone into contention, while one mistake could ruin a title chance.
With Oakmont offering both punishment and opportunity, Saturday promises excitement. Expect bold approaches, tough par saves, and possibly a new leader by the end of Round 3.
🎥 Round 2 Highlights
Catch the best moments from US Open Round 2 — including Sam Burns’ charge, Spaun’s grind, and Hovland’s eagle. Watch the full recap here:
Video courtesy of USGA
