Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg highlight the first page of the leaderboard at the U.S. Open as they’ve managed to keep their scores in the red numbers. But while that trio has been able to tame Pinehurst No. 2 over the course of the first couple days, not everyone has been so successful.
Just 15 players broke par during Thursday’s opening round when the scoring average was more than three three strokes over par. For many of those who saw their scores balloon on Thursday, they’ll be battling to make the cut during Round 2.
Here’s who’s in danger of heading home early from Pinehurst.
How does the U.S. Open cutline work?
The cutline at the U.S. Open is simple. At the conclusion of 36 holes, only the top 60 players, including ties, make the cut. This is slightly more stringent than the PGA Championship and Open Championship, each of which take the top 70 players and ties. The Masters, which begins the week with a limited field, makes their cut at the top 50 players and ties.
What is the U.S. Open cutline?
After a chaotic afternoon that saw the cutline move back and forth between four and five over, the cutline has officially been made at five over.
Who missed the U.S. Open cut?
Many big-name stars won’t be around for the weekend, but the list is headlined by Tiger Woods. The three-time U.S. Open champion opened the day directly on the cutline and made an early birdie to get to three over. However, from that point forward, it was tough sledding. Woods did not make another birdie for the remainder of the round and posted a three-over 73 to miss the cut by two shots.
Check out below for a full list of notable players who missed the cut.
Notables to miss U.S. Open cut
Max Homa +6 (F)
Viktor Hovland +6 (F)
Tiger Woods +7 (F)
Will Zalatoris +8 (F)
Rickie Fowler +8 (F)
Jason Day +8 (F)
Dustin Johnson +9 (F)
Justin Thomas +11 (F)
Phil Mickelson +15 (F)
