The 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club has lived up to its fearsome reputation. After two brutal rounds, only three players remain under par–a testament to the punishing layout, lightning-fast greens, and pin placements that have humbled the majority of the field.
Burns Takes Command
On Friday, American Sam Burns unleashed a sensational 65 (‑5), vaulting him to ‑3 overall and into solo possession of the top spot. His score now ranks as one of the lowest U.S. Open rounds ever recorded at Oakmont, equaling some of the course’s most storied performances.
Burns’ day was a display of surgical precision: one bogey balanced by six birdies, with the final stretch consisting of five straight pars. He excelled not just with his iron play. He gained over 3 strokes on approach, but also had stellar putting, adding nearly 3 strokes on the greens.
In Burns’ own words, he made effective use of the back nine, a strategy mirrored by other front-runners: from holes 10-18, he laid the groundwork for his club‑leading round, then weathered Oakmont’s front side challenges to take clubhouse command.
Hovland Eyes the Top
Norwegian Viktor Hovland is in hot pursuit after a roller-coaster 68 (‑2), leaving him at ‑1 and two shots back of Burns. His round featured an eagle at the drivable par‑4 17th, plus birdies, bogeys, and a bold double, a display of both risk and reward.
But Hovland has remained unflappable. Off the course, his curiosity extends to philosophy and UFOs. Qualities he says sharpen his mental resilience in tense moments. This weekend, he’ll look to channel that analytical edge and continue his climb.
J.J. Spaun, who fired an opening 66, stumbled slightly with a 72 on day two, but remains in second place at ‑2. His resilience, recovering well after late bogeys, has kept him within striking distance.
In contrast, the rest of the leaderboard is crowded with players over par: Brooks Koepka (+2), Jon Rahm (+4), Collin Morikawa (+4), Scottie Scheffler (+4) all made the weekend cut but now face an uphill climb amid Oakmont’s unforgiving conditions.
Major Names, Major Struggles
Oakmont has unleashed chaos on many of the big guns. Rory McIlroy scraped through at +6 despite smashing a tee marker in frustration. Scheffler wrestled with the course and was seen working on his swing between shots.
“I feel like I battled really hard,” Scheffler said. “It’s challenging out there. I was not getting the ball in the correct spots and paying the price for it.”
Bryson DeChambeau (+10), Dustin Johnson (+10), Phil Mickelson (+8), Justin Thomas (+12), and Ludvig Åberg (+8) were all eliminated by the daunting cut line set at +7.
“It sucks,” Thomas said. “I felt like I really didn’t play that bad yesterday; I had four tee balls that were 50-50 in the air of being in the fairway or not, and all four of them were not, and played those holes 5-over, so that can happen out there. I was very far from sharp and just didn’t play well.”
Friday play was interrupted by a late-afternoon thunderstorm, halting round two at 8:15 p.m. ET due to lightning. Officials will resume those suspended holes at 7:30 a.m. ET on Saturday.
The forecast calls for continued volatility, meaning the weekend could see dramatically shifting conditions–keeping the pressure high on leaders and contenders alike.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post U.S. Open Round 2: Burns Surges Ahead as Oakmont Pushes Back appeared first on Heavy Sports.