Almost midway through the U.S. Open, The Los Angeles Country Club has given up far more birdies than expected, but it’s still showing its teeth to several big-name pros.
The U.S. Open features a 36-hole cut down to the top 60 and ties and several stars are currently outside that position.
As of 4:00 p.m. EDT Friday afternoon, as the early wave was just beginning to finish their second rounds, there were 66 players at one over or better. However, Data Golf‘s real-time predictive model only gives a 17 percent chance of the cutline staying at one over and a 77.5 percent chance of it moving to two over.
Either number would set a U.S. Open record for low 36-hole cut. The current low 36-hole aggregate cut was 143 at Olympia Fields in 2003 and last year at The Country Club. One over is the record for lowest cut in relation to par, also happening twice at Medinah No. 3 in 1990 and 2017 at Erin Hills.
Data Golf gives just a 5.3 percent chance of the cut moving as high as three over, which is where it fell at Brookline.
Currently, Phil Mickelson is one of the biggest names who will likely miss the cut. Mickelson opened with a 69 during a record-breaking first round of scoring which saw the first two 62s in U.S. Open history, but he fell back to earth Friday, his 53rd birthday, with five bogeys and a double to shoot 74, leaving him at three over.
Jordan Spieth is in the same position as Mickelson after making bogey on two of his final three holes to finish at three over.
Cameron Young and Patrick Cantlay are among the names at two over through the first two rounds.
Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Martin Kaymer all shot three-over 73 on day 1 and are just getting set to start their second rounds.
Farther back are Kurt Kitayama (+4), Tyrell Hatton (+4), Joel Dahmen (+4), Keegan Bradley (+6), Justin Rose (+6) and Cam Davis (+10). Hatton, Dahmen and Rose will start their second rounds shortly.
You can follow the second-round scores here.
