Key events
Daniel Neill asks: “If Shinnecock Hills is Gatsby country, who in the field is Gatsby?” A mysterious rich man, shady connections, contrived in manner, somewhat manipulative – you tell me, readers.
Scottie Scheffler can’t ride the wave of his birdie at 15. He labours to a par at the long 16th and remains +1 for the week. The Leaderboard:
-7: Clark (F)
-3; M. Fitzpatrick (F), Schauffele (17*), Higgs (13), Stevens (12), McIlroy (8), Greyserman (6)
To the 8th. Rory McIlroy has 18 feet for birdie, it’s dead straight and he finds the hole with a smooth strole. A lovely putt. He’s -2 for the round and -3 for the championship. Primed for an afternoon challenge.
Sam Stevens joins him on -3 for the week with back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12.
Wonderful drone footage highlights just how close Shinnecock Hills is to the sea. Located on Long Island, it has Shinnecock Bay close by, the Atlantic in sight, Great Peconic Bay nearby and Long Island Sound is not far away. It’s Great Gatsby country for literary folk.
Harry Higgs won’t be known to many. But he has an interesting CV. He won the Diners Club Peru Open – is Diners Club still a thing?! He also won the Visit Knoxville Open – a slightly hopeful-sounding sponsor. The nearest he’s been to PGA Tour success was play off defeat in the Myrtle Beach Classic – Myrtle Beach sounds like a minor character in the Golden Girls. But he was T4 on his major debut at the 2021 PGA Championship and T14 on his Masters debut in 2022. This is just his second US Open start (he missed the cut in 2024), he’s currently -4 for the day, -3 for the week and he’s just missed a 4 foot birdie try at the 13th.
Scottie Scheffler drops a 41 foot birdie putt at 15. It’s his sixth hole of the day and he’s now -1 for the day and +1 for the week with the par-5 16th to come. No-one would pretend he has looked good this week, but he finds a way of hanging around – and the last time he didn’t play four rounds was February 2024.
Here’s a factor to consider over the next four hours: 28 of the last 30 US Open champions were within three shots of the halfway lead – and 27 were within two. A nice stat for the current leader to consider.
The two exceptions were 5 and 6 shots back which gives this week’s chasers hope, not least because that 5 shot deficit retrieval was Brooks Koepka at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.
Thanks Dave. Looks like we have quite a long way to go. To celebrate the extended World Cup it feels like the pre-cut golf has been extended. The latest starters have finished just four holes of their second round.
And after that rather pointless stat, I’m being subsituted for fresher legs/minds. On comes Matt Cooper as I sit down on the bench while being handed a bottle of water.
Americans have won nine of the last 11 editions of the US Open. That dominance is being reflected at the top of the current leaderboard with 10 of the top 13 home US golfers.
Tommy Fleetwood also made his birdie at the par-5 5th to return to even par for the day and even par overall. You get the sense that both he and McIlroy will want to be no more than five back from Clark when play is done. That would mean finishing at -2, where Rory is right now.
At 14, there’s a goalkeeper in the hole as Scheffler’s birdie putt somehow stays out. Talking of which the USA are leading Australia 2-0 as half-time approaches in their World Cup Group D clash at Lumen Field.
Scheffler needs to put his foot down after that bogey at 13. The good news is that he’ll have a birdie putt from 14 feet coming up at 14.
Meanwhile, Harry Higgs has just whipped up the New York crowds after holing a 75-foot putt from off the green at the par-3 11th. Higgs is -4 for the day and into a tie for second.
-7: Clark (F)
-3: M. Fitzpatrick (F), Schauffele (F), Higgs (11), Greyserman (4)
-2: Morikawa (F), McIlroy (5)
Rory launches his approach at the par-5 5th to just inside 30 feet so he’ll be putting for eagle. His left to righter looks set to break into the cup but holds its line and stays up. Rory looks somehat confused. The return putt needs some attention but in it goes and Rory has his first birdie of the day. At -2 he’s five off Clark’s lead.
Scottie Scheffler has to get a ruling as he crouches inside a greenside bunker at 13. He wants to remove a loose stone but is making sure it’s not some clumped sand doing an impersonation of one. After getting the all clear, he splashes out to 10 feet but can’t make the putt. Scheffler drops nine back again and in tied 36th. Not the place to be if you want to try and complete the Grand Slam of all four majors.
If +5 is at least one shot too many, that means Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland will both be heading home early. The +6s slamming their trunks include Shane Lowry, Jon Rahm and Patrick Cantlay.
Barring a big turnaround, defending champion J.J. Spaun also won’t be around for the weekend. He’s +8 overall with 15 holes to play.
None of that should concern Rory McIlroy (-1) as he pummels his drive at the par-5 5th 393 yards down the middle of the fairway. He’ll have exactly 200 yards for his second.
McIlroy has to scramble for par at 4 after his wedge from 112 yards spins back off the green. Also pars for Fleetwood and Åberg at the same hole. Now to the first par 5 of the day.
Datagolf’s live cutline prediction suggests +4 is still the number (62%). However +3 (37%) is still a live runner if the wind stays down.
Ludvig Åberg has matched McIlroy’s par-par-par start to stay alongside the Northern Irisman at -1, currently good enough for tied seventh. Routine pars at 1 and 3 after finding fairways and greens in the right number although at 2 he had to knock in a nine-footer to keep a bogey away after leaking his tee shot into right rough. The Swede has put himself in great position in several big tournaments this year without finishing the job off. This would be the perfect place to end that frustrating run.
At 4, a 468-yard par 4, Åberg shows all that effortless power to blast a 361-yard drive into the middle of the fairway. McIlroy has a bit of a lean going but he also finds the short grass, as does Fleetwood.
Tommy Fleetwood paid the price for a missed green at the par-3 2nd hole and made bogey to drop to +1. At 3, his drive has skipped into the fescue, a “jumpy lie” according to Wayne Riley. Hands on hips, Fleetwood is undecided what club to pull and eventually tugs a 7-iron into rough by the left of the green. Another shot could go here but Fleetwood has a killer short game and bumps one across the green to four feet and saves par. McIlroy’s approach lands around 25 feet from the pin but he hits a fruity first putt to leave himself a testy one back. He makes it. A par-par-par start keeps the Masters champ at -1.
At 11, Scheffler is in birdie range again but his 12-footer doesn’t catch enough of the hole. He remains at +1 alongside Fleetwood.
McIlroy pulls driver at the 513-yard par-4 3rd hole and immediately reaches for his tee. Boom! Right down the middle. While Rory makes the 358-yard walk to his ball, Scheffler tickles in his birdie putt at 10 for an opening birdie that takes him to +1.
-7: Clark (F)
-3; M. Fitzpatrick (F), Schauffele (F)
-2: Morikawa (F), Higgs (7), Greyserman (1)
The 2nd hole is a par 3 measuring a hefty 262 yards today but Rory safely finds the putting surface. It’s right on line but perhaps 30 feet short. As McIlroy walks to the green alongside Fleetwood and Aberg, Scottie Scheffler hits his opening tee shot into the fairway at 10. The World No 1 is playing the back nine first today.
It’s a decent lag putt from McIlroy and he taps in for par. That’s fine at a hole which the field has played in a collective +29 today. Rory is six back so Scheffler has the greater need for birdies as he currently lies nine off the pace. He’s hit a fine approach to the back flag at his opening hole though and will be putting for birdie from nine feet. He’ll have to wait a while though as defending champion, J.J. Spaun, is having a nightmare start and will have to get up and down from off the back of the green for bogey.
Clark’s 36-hole total of 133 is the lowest in a US Open at Shinnecock. So where does the scoring go from here? Sky’s on-course reporter, Wayne Riley, reckons there’s a 65 out there this afternoon with the wind “getting softer and softer”. However, second-placed Xander Schauffele believes it’ll be a very different story over the weekend. Discussing the course set-up for the final two rounds, the two-time major winner predicts the “USGA will have some fun with it” before signing off with a wry smile.
There are nine major winners in the top 12 as Rory plays his second shot to the 1st from 145 yards. This should be a straightforward shot but he penetrates the breeze and his ball bounds off and away down a slope over the back. Tough up and down from there. Playing partners Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood find the green in two, the Englishman landing his second only 11 feet way.
McIlroy bumps one up the hill but leaves himself just under 12 feet for his par. Fleetwood goes first with his birdie try which stays right but Rory, from similar range, sinks his putt for a four. That’s a relief. A chest out par in the end and he remains six back.
As Rory McIlroy finds the fairway with an iron off the 1st, some more quotes here from leader Wyndham Clark. This is him comparing his rounds of 64 and 69.
“Yesterday, I really drove it great, and then I was just really conservative into the greens. These greens are obviously the challenge of this golf course.
“Then today I kind of did the same thing. Wasn’t as sharp, but the consistency of hitting it to kind of conservative targets really paid off.
“I’m tired. Didn’t get to bed until 10:30. Had to wake up at 4:00 [to play final two holes of first round]. So not much sleep. I’m going to really be looking forward to a nap and watching USA hopefully win a game.”
Which is a good opportunity to point you in the direction of our live World Cup blog, courtesy of Beau Dure:
It’s been a disastrous back nine for Jon Rahm. After going through his first 21 holes without a bogey, he looked to be playing perfect US Open golf. But look what’s happened from the 12th. He’s dropped six shots in the last five holes to slump to +8 for his round and +6 for the tournament. Just as in the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock, he’s all set to miss the cut.
Some quotes from Collin Morikawa after his, so far, best-of-the-day 65. That 5-under lap has taken him to tied fourth.
“I chipped it a lot better than I did yesterday. I mean, I went through my round yesterday, and I had at least four, probably five, maybe six up-and-downs, pretty basic up-and-downs, that I just flubbed.
“Then that’s the difference of kicking yourself out of a tournament, keeping yourself in it. Thankfully today, you know, got off to a good start, hit a couple of good iron shots, but at the same time, made the up-and-downs. Then that was kind of the big change, I think, for today.
“I love this golf course. I think it’s grown on me throughout the week. I think when I showed up, you know, it was nice, and everyone had high remarks for it. I just looked at it as this is the next test for me, but I think it’s grown on me.
“Especially with this wind that we’ve had. I think with the north wind, it plays very, very weird, but with the south we had yesterday and the west we’re having right now, I think it plays as a great golf course.”
Thanks Matt. A reminder of those tee-times involving Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and some other big names. Rory is off in just over 10 minutes.
USA unless stated, x denotes amateur. All times BST.
Hole 1
18:51 Sam Burns, Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Si Woo Kim (Kor)
18:58 Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Ludvig Åberg (Swe), Tommy Fleetwood (Eng)
Hole 10
19:24 Mason Howell (x), Scottie Scheffler, JJ Spaun
Matt Fitzpatrick on his position: “I think being comfortable in the moment is the big thing. I know I’m four behind, but I might be in one of the last few groups tomorrow. I feel like, A, I’ve obviously been in that situation before, and B, I have the game to match.” And with that, I’ll hand back to Dave Tindall.
Xander Schauffele has joined Matt Fitzpatrick in second and in the clubhouse. That’s two quality chasers heading into the weekend – and Collin Morikawa is another major championship winner close by.
-7: Clark (F)
-3; M. Fitzpatrick (F), Schauffele (F*) Stevens (1)
-2: Morikawa (F)
Wyndham Clark on his position: “This new putter is really good. But I need to be patient. I need to drive it well. If I find fairways I can go low. I’m in a happy place.”
Lovely little story down the leaderboard – England’s John Parry. The 39-year-old was a winner on the DP World Tour in 2010 and yet his career wound down after that. In 2021 he was on the third tier and fretting that he’d never escape it. A life outside of golf was a distinct possibility. He gave it a last try. He got back on the main tour but then fell back again. He dug deep again. Another last try. He graduated again from the second tier in 2024, won on the DP World Tour in 2025, maintained his form, and earned a PGA Tour card. He’s made 13 of 15 cuts this season and, after rounds of 71-71 this week, he’ll play another weekend. Lovely.
The only time Wyndham Clark lead a tournament by four shot at halfway was the 2024 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. And what happened? He finished second.
He didn’t exactly fold: he carded rounds of 70-69. And there’s a chance his lead will be shortened before the end of play.
Wyndham Clark shoots 69 to post -7 and lead by four
Wyndham Clark has found the 18th green in two blows. He has 33 feet for birdie to extend his advantage and he makes it! Perfect pass allows it to take the borrow just as it nears the hole. A terrific finish for him.
Rounds of 64-69 leave him on -7 for the championship which is currently good enough for a four shot lead. A strong position, no doubt. He’ll have a lot of time to fill between now and his third round tee time, however.
Xander Schauffele found sand from the tee at the 8th, but his second shot lands safely in the heart of the green and he makes par. He’s currently tied for second with Matt Fitzpatrick and on track for yet another US Open top 15 finish.
Let’s remind ourselves of the Californian’s relentless quality in this championship: nine starts, all of them T15 or better, seven of them top 10s.
He’s the US Open’s middle lane hogger. Steadfast. Unshiftable. Sometimes unpassable.
Can he find the outside lane and … No. I’m quitting here. It’s all got a little bit Alan Partridge.
Yesterday Joaquin Niemann was handed a two-shot penalty for “serious misconduct” after he threw a club on the 6th. He’d bunted two shots out of bounds so he’d already made life difficult for himself. Well, he’s bounced back in some style. He’s -5 through 16 holes in his second round, but still +3 after yesterday’s 78.
A wonderful finish for Matt Fitzpatrick. Pure Sheffield steel. He drops a birdie putt from 10 feet at the 18th and completes a second round of 70. He’s back to -3 for the championship in a tie for second currently.
Playing partner Bryson DeChambeau is left wondering if he’ll make the cut. Rounds of 70-75 leave him on +5 and facing the prospect of an unwanted triple crown of miss cuts in this year’s major championships. He needs conditions to make life uncomfortable for the PM starters.
Hello, hello. Wyndham Clark’s 38-foot birdie putt at 17 is a very tentative effort and does nothing more than dribble in the general direction of the hole. It leaves him 3 feet for par and … he securely finds the bottom of the cup. Mini drama over.
Jon Rahm is ailing, by the way. He looked in great nick yesterday, but his front nine today was difficult (one birdie, three bogeys) and he’s looking to break a run of three bogeys in a row at 15. He’s +5 for the day, +3 for the championship and in a greenside bunker. An unlikely Friday flop.
Collin Morikawa has set the clubhouse target. A second round 65 atoned for a slow 73 yesterday. Impressive stuff. He’s all set for an exciting weekend. Behind him the leader Wyndham Clark has found the green on the par-3 17th, but faces a first putt of aruond 40 feet.
-6: Clark (15)
-3 Schauffele (15*)
-2: Morikawa (F), M. Fitzpatrick (17), Stevens (-)
Matt Fitzpatrick tidies up a par at the short 17th. Nice consolidation after the birdie at 16. Assuming I’m not setting him up for a fall, this will be the first time he enters a US Open weekend inside the top 10. It’s his 12th start and he was T13 when he won the championship in 2022.
Nice work from Xander Schauffle. He knocks in a 40-foot birdie at 6. His fifth of the day. He’s -4 for the round, -3 for the week and now solo second.
Moreover, he is only three back because Wyndham Clark had 17 feet for par on 16 and it slips by the hole. The leader is now -6.
Sand is proving a theme of the hour. The championship leader Wyndham Clark is on the 615-yard par-5 16th and his tee shot found a fairway bunker. He was only trying to lay up with his second but has erred by finding another fairway bunker.
Playing partner Dustin Johnson has launched his ball into the heart of the green in two blows. “Ridiculous,” says TV’s Ewen Murray. He’s thinking as much as that has happened before as to the power of the two shots. Jon Rahm once said that DJ is like a goldfish. He forgets the bad stuff very quickly.
Clark’s second shot has plugged and he is in a deep sand trap. Mel Reid is hyping the difficulty of this shot. “It needs a big thump,” she says. He gives it exactly that and digs it out, but he needs a good fourth to save par.
No bunker woes for Matt Fitzpatrick. He gets up and down from a greenside one on the par-5 16th for a birdie-4. It’s his first par breaker of the day and gets him back to -2 for the tournament in a tie for second. A gritty day for the Sheffield. As gritty as those bunkers, you might say.
Dave mentioned Dustin Johnson’s nightmare at 15. A drive to rough. A hack to a bunker. Shot three also found sand. So did shot four. Shot five found grass. Shot six finally found the green. Two putts. It all added up to a quadruple bogey-8. DJ has now dropped eight shots in five holes. From -4 and in contention to +4 and fighting to make the cut in an hour. Cruel. TV suggest his bunker woes might have been impacted by the small stones in there this week.
Thanks Dave. Bit of tension there for me and the laptop. These fellows think trying to complete a solid 70 around Shinnecock Hills is stressful – if I was wearing one of Rory Mcllroy’s Whoop’s we might learn an awful lot about my heart rate and future health.
Matt Cooper is back in the game so I’ll let him tell you all about Dustin Johnson’s nightmare at 15. It isn’t pretty.
Remarkably, no left-hander has won the US Open and here we are in the 126th edition. Phil Mickelson went mightily close, finishing runner-up on no less than six occasions, while Robert MacIntyre was second at Oakmont last year. But we have a southpaw in contention here, Akshay Bhatia. A superb winner of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill earlier this year, the 24-year-old from California is -1 today and -1 overall after three birdies against two bogeys.
Collin Morikawa continues his leaderboard climb. A birdie at 15, his sixth gain of the round, moves the Ryder Cup star up to -2 and into tied third.
Slight problem with Matt’s laptop so it’s me again! I can tell you that there’s no hat-trick of birdies for Clark, who misses from 12 feet at 14 so stays at -7.
As Wyndham Clark sets up another birdie chance at 14, I’ll hand you over to Matt Cooper for a wee while.
London buses and all that. After breaking his duck for the round with a red number at 12, Wyndham Clark drains a 28-footer for birdie at 13 and hits the giddy heights of -7. That’s now a five-shot lead. Hmmm. This is looking uncomfortable for both the chasing pack on the course and the likes of McIlroy and Scheffler who have yet to play a shot today.
But one man definitely not going away is Xander Schauffele. Clark’s five-shot lead lasts a matter of seconds as Schauffle pours in a birdie on 4, his 13th, to move to -3.
Fitzpatrick stays in tied fourth after an incredible par at the lengthy par-4 14th. He finds sand with his second, splashes out into greenside rough and could be looking at a double. But his chip from the gnarly stuff hurtles towards the hole, jams against the flag and drops! That could be huge.
-7: Clark (13)
-3 Schauffele (13*)
-2: Stevens (-)
-1: Morikawa (14), Fitzpatrick (14), Conners (13*), Bhatia (11), Rose (10), McIlroy (-), Aberg (-), Greyserman (-), Harman (-), James (-)
