Spieth, McIlroy among big names to miss US Open cut

US Open: Shinnecock Hills got the better of some of the best players in the world, with Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy among the big names to miss the cut at the second major of the year. 

As Dustin Johnson raced to a four-shot lead during the second round of the US Open, it was a different story for some of the other players in the World’s top 10, who joined Tiger Woods in missing the cut at the 118th US Open. 

Jordan Spieth (#4), Jon Rahm (#5). Rory McIlroy (#6) and Jason Day (#8) all failed to finish better than eight-over-par for the tournament as all four players struggled to recover from high scores on Thursday’s round.

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Spieth had the best chance of the four to make it to the weekend with a late four-hole birdie run that got him to seven-over with two holes to play. Unfortunately, he bogeyed both those holes to miss out by one shot. 

Playing partner Rory McIlroy also caught fire on the back nine with four birdies of his own to finish a full 10 shots better in round 2 than round 1, but an even par 70 was still two shots short of dispelling the damage done with his first round 80 – which matched his highest ever score as a professional. 

“I felt like my game was good coming in here,” said McIlroy, who tied for eighth at the Memorial two weeks ago, a week after finishing runner-up at the BMW PGA. “I think I was just blown away by the wind yesterday. That was the real thing. I mean, I haven’t played in wind like that for quite a long time and I just felt like I couldn’t aim far enough left or right to allow for the wind.

“Today I hit 17 out of 18 greens. I did a lot of good stuff. Obviously the conditions were conducive for that. Yesterday I just wish I could have maybe just had one day to prepare for something like that. I feel like it would have been a different story.

“Even after yesterday I felt like I could come in today and shoot in the 60s and make it to the weekend. Obviously I played the front nine well, I didn’t putt very well… I could have squeezed one more on the back nine, but it still would have been short of what I would have needed. The first 27 holes for me were obviously what did it.”

Jason Day added a 73 to his first round 79 to end up four shots outside the cut line on +12, not helped by three opening bogeys in his second round. 

Three shots worse than Day was Jon Rahm, who failed to card a single birdie in his second round as he averaged 1.94 putts per hole. Rounds of 78-77 left him at +15 to miss the cut by seven and finish just one shot ahead of compatriot and 2017 Masters Champion Sergio Garcia.

Notable Names To Miss The Cut

+9: Jordan Spieth
+10: Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods
+11: Bubba Watson
+12: Jason Day, Matt Kuchar, Charl Schwartzel
+13: Adam Scott
+14 Sergio Garcia
+15 Jon Rahm
+18 Martin Kaymer