PINEHURST, N.C. — Pinehurst No. 2 gave players fits on Friday — some more than others. The course played firm and fast on a hot day. Balls were on the green and then they weren’t. Lip outs and three jacks and all the misery typically associated with a U.S. Open. There won’t be any 62s this week at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, that’s for sure.
But first some of the heroics. Italy’s Francesco Molinari made an ace at No. 9, his final hole of his second round to go from outside the cutline to making the weekend.
“That’s what I was trying to do. It was the last chance to have a chance to play the weekend. I saw we were still 61st, so hopefully we can sneak in the cut,” Molinari said. “Yeah, that’s golf in a nutshell.”
According to Elias Sports Bureau, that’s never happened before in a U.S. Open. Special stuff.
How about Xander Schauffele, the reigning PGA Championship winner, who shot 69 to finish at 1-under 139 and inside the top 10. It also extended his PGA Tour-leading streak of made cuts to 49, matching Steve Stricker for the longest such streak since Tiger Woods set the mark with 142.
It took 5-over 145 to be among the 74 players to make the cut. Three amateurs advanced to the weekend: Neal Shipley, Luke Clanton and Gunnar Broin. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler survived on the number, shooting 4-over 74 on Day Two.
But a bunch of big names were on the wrong side of the cutline and were trunk-slamming on Friday.
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Viktor Hovland on the 5th hole during the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Hovland was among the favorites this week after finishing third at the PGA Championship last month. He dug himself a big hole by shooting 78 on Thursday and not even a Friday 68 could save him.
Hovland made six bogeys and two double bogeys on Thursday. He ranked 151st in both SG: Tee to Green and SG: Around the Green, which is an ugly combination. On Friday, he was eighth in SG: Tee to Green and second in SG: Around the Green but the damage was done.
Robert MacIntyre plays his shot from the sixteenth tee box during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
The Scot, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at the RBC Canadian Open two weeks ago, apparently needs his father, Dougie, on the bag more than…
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