Rickie Fowler – as soon as known as the most effective participant to not have received a serious – holds a one-shot lead on the midway stage of the US Open, however has a bunch of gamers simply behind him who will probably be hoping that it stays that means come Sunday evening.
Eight birdies and 6 bogeys noticed Fowler add a two-under par 68 to the day gone by’s 62 and transfer him to 10 underneath for the championship – a joint US Open report for 36 holes. The Californian holds a one-shot lead over fellow American Wyndham Clark, with Rory McIlroy only a shot additional again in third alongside Xander Schauffele.
“I’m within the lead, however we’re solely midway there,” stated Fowler, 34, whose final win got here on the Phoenix Open in 2019 and whose world rating slipped to 167 as not too long ago as 11 months in the past. “Being within the lead is sweet, however it actually means nothing proper now. I’m trying ahead to persevering with to problem myself and go on the market and try to execute the most effective I can.”
Many anticipated the USGA to toughen up the North Course at Los Angeles Nation Membership after a day of report scoring on Thursday, however there have been nonetheless loads of birdies available on Friday and a outstanding third hole-in-one of the event. That was achieved on the quick fifteenth by defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick throughout a second spherical 71 that leaves the Yorkshireman with loads of work to do if he’s to retain his title.
Schauffele, who matched Fowler’s 62 on Thursday, didn’t deliver the identical magic on Friday, however after three consecutive bogeys he completed with two birdies to signal for a level-par 70 to affix McIlroy on eight underneath. Scottie Scheffler shouldn’t be too distant on 5 underneath after a 68, with Cameron Smith rounding out the highest 10 on 4 underneath after a 67.
Teeing off on the tenth, issues didn’t go McIlroy’s means over his first 9 holes and he was at risk of sliding out of competition with three bogeys and a solitary birdie, however the response was emphatic. Six birdies adopted, 4 in his final 5 holes, together with coming inside inches of constructing a hole-in-one on the par-three ninth, in distinction to his bogey end within the first spherical.
With the reduce falling at +2, a bunch of massive names received’t be round for the weekend, together with Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Phil Mickelson, Max Homa, Justin Rose and Jason Day. Thomas fared the worst of these, ending on 14 over after a nightmare second spherical 81 that featured three double bogeys. Additionally driving the bogey practice was Dustin Johnson, however most of his dropped photographs got here in a single gap when he racked up a quadruple on the par-four second gap however managed to finish the day with a level-par 70 to take a seat simply 4 off the lead on six underneath.
Masters champion Jon Rahm made the reduce with no margin to spare with a second spherical 73 that left the Spaniard fuming after an error-strewn day that featured six bogeys and leaves him a good distance off the tempo in his search to win a second US Open title.
For all of the scores from the 123rd US Open, click on right here.
