2021 U.S. Open cut: How the cut is determined at Torrey Pines (and who is in danger of missing it)

It’s going to be a long Friday at the 2021 U.S. Open, but by day’s end the cut will be made, and dozens of dejected pros will be sent packing, while others will earn right to play for the win on the weekend. Here’s everything you need to know about how the U.S. Open cut works, and which players are in danger of missing the cut this year.

How the U.S. Open cutline is determined

One-hundred-and-fifty-six pros and amateurs teed off on Thursday at Torrey Pines in the 121st United States Open Championship, but most of them won’t be found on the tee sheets on Saturday and Sunday. Every major has its own cut rules, as do PGA Tour events, but the cut rule is very simple at the U.S. Open.

When the final putt drops in the second round Friday evening, the top 60 players and ties on the leaderboard will survive to play another day. The rest of the field will have to head home early, or enjoy watching the action on the other side of the ropes.

U.S. Open projected cut: Who will miss the cut at Torrey Pines?

UPDATE: The second round concluded late Friday night, with the cut ending up at four over. All 71 players at that number or better earned a spot in the third and final rounds on Saturday and Sunday. Several star players, like Jordan Spieth (four over) and Phil Mickelson (two over) narrowly survived to play the weekend. With the lead at only five under, anyone who made the cut has a legitimate chance to pull off a comeback win.

We won’t know the official cutline until all players have finished Round 2, but we can look at the projected cut to get a good idea of who is at risk of missing out. As of 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, the projected cut is at four over, with 75 players at that number or better.

The cut number could move as the round continues, but at the moment several star players are on the outside looking in and at risk of missing the cut. U.S. Amateur champion Tyler Strafaci shot a 78 on Thursday, and things didn’t get better in the second round. Seven bogeys over his first 14 holes left him in second-to-last place at 14 over.

Instruction

Justin Rose, winner of the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, also shot 78 in Round 1, and he continued to collect bogeys in the early-going on Friday. Webb Simpson, who won the U.S. Open one year before Rose at the Olympic Club, shot an eight-over 79 in the opening round and will need a tremendous round to earn a tee time on Saturday.

More intriguing are the many proven winners and fan favorites sitting right around the cutline as the second round gets underway in earnest on Friday. Phil Mickelson begins the day at four over and at risk. The same goes for Collin Morikawa (four over), Jordan Spieth (four over) and Will Zalatoris (seven over), and less so for Dustin Johnson (two over) and Gary Woodland (three over) and Justin Thomas (two over).

No fates are sealed among this group of competitors. They will likely pop in and out of cut contention as they make birdies and bogeys on Friday, and as the cutline moves throughout the round. Stay tuned for updates how how these players are faring.