Scottie Scheffler risks missing US Open cut

He wasted opportunities, struggled with his putter and looked lost at times. The most unflappable player on the planet at one point threw his putter in the air in frustration, turning his back as he collapsed on the 15th green.

With two bogeys and a double bogey, Scheffler posted a 74 in Friday's second round, leaving him at 5 through 36 holes and, surprisingly, in danger of missing the cut. He will have to spend the afternoon monitoring the field to see if his score will be enough for a start on Saturday. It's an unfamiliar position for Scheffler, who hasn't missed a cut since August 2022 and has finished outside the top 10 just once in his last 16 starts.

“I don’t think 5 over will get me into the weekend. But I’m proud of the way I fought today,” Scheffler said. “I gave myself a good chance. Really yesterday I felt like I did a good job. Today I just couldn't knock the putts down. This golf course can be unpredictable at times, and maybe that has gotten the better of me the last few days. I'm going to sit down and think about where we're going these last few days and figure it out.

He entered the clubhouse tied for 90th place with plenty of golf to play on a scorching Friday afternoon, with temperatures expected to reach 90 degrees. The top 60 players (plus ties) after 36 holes qualify for the US Open. Data Golf, an analytics site, calculated that +4 was the most likely cut line when Scheffler left the course, although the odds quickly changed to make +5 the most likely outcome, according to the site.

After Thursday's opening round saw two sparkling 65s – from Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay – the course looked to be tougher on Friday morning.

McIlroy, meanwhile, posted a score of 72, falling to 3 under in the tournament. He is set to enter the weekend at the top of the leaderboard as he seeks his first major championship since 2014, when he won both the British Open and PGA Championship.

McIlroy and others from the morning wave arrived at the clubhouse, curious about how the conditions and rising temperatures would treat some of the afternoon players, including Cantlay, who is seeking his first major title; Swede Ludvig Aberg, who posted a 66 on Thursday, and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who opened the tournament with a 67.

Scheffler got off to an early start on Friday, starting on the back nine with McIlroy and Xander Schauffele, and after Thursday's 71 he was looking for a good start to put him in the weekend hunt. But he missed a few early birdie putts and was visibly frustrated before he even made the turn.

“I actually hit it really well. I just couldn’t sink a putt early,” he said.

A bad chip on number 15 went past the pin to the edge of the green. Scheffler missed the par putt from 17 feet and uncharacteristically flipped his putter in the air, turning his back to the green in disgust.

The greens were particularly fast Friday morning and each hole felt like a new adventure. On the par-3 tee box 17, Scheffler's ball was still climbing in the air when he muttered, “Maybe the worst golf shot I've ever seen hit.” » His ball landed to the left of a bunker and he must have crashed into the sand. But he then missed a 12-foot par putt, inflicting a second bogey that left him at 3-over – the worst score he has held in a round this year.

He never made a birdie that day, the first time he has failed to do so on a major tour. On tee 18, the 27-year-old Texan slammed the head of his driver into the ground and threw his tee in frustration. He carried the club all the way down the fairway, at times appearing to strangle it.

And then, on the par-5 fifth hole, Scheffler's round went from bad to nightmare. His burst from the sand and turf to the left of the green failed to clear a hill and landed back on his feet. His next chip flew over the hole and away from the green, 54 feet from the cup. Another chip stopped 15 feet away and after two putts, Scheffler found himself with a double bogey that put him in uncharted territory, teetering around the cut line.

“Around this place, you have to hit such good shots. The golf course is a challenge,” he said. “I personally think it’s fun to play, but yeah, it was really difficult.”

Scheffler hasn't missed a cut at a major since the 2022 PGA Championship. He had top-5 finishes at the last two U.S. Opens and after winning his second Masters in April, he finished tied for eighth at the Championship. PGA last month.