Reputation has counted for little over the first two days of the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. You’ve heard all about the sloping greens, and the irascible rough, and it’s been too much for some of the game’s big stars.
A number of very big names will have to watch the next two days of action from their TV screens after missing the US Open cut line of five over.
But who are among the victims? Let’s have a run down of the some of the highest profile…
Which big names have missed the US Open cut?
Tiger Woods (+7)
Flirted with revival early on day two after an opening 74, but a messed up chip on the 9th put him over the cut line.
He dug deep around the turn and played pretty well on the way home – a succession of birdie putts somehow failing to find the hole. It just reaffirms that he has to find a way to play more.
But will it be the last time we see him at at US Open?
Robert MacIntyre (+6)
Bob looked scrappy on the first day but showed his full range of skills to get out of Pinehurst No. 2 with a level par 70. He couldn’t repeat the trick, though, in his second act – some short missed putts doing the damage as he slipped to 76 and a flight back to Scotland.
Max Homa (+6)
Was one over for the tournament when an ill-advised chop with a wooden club out of the wiregrass on the 5th went all of 62 yards. A bogey followed on the par 5 and things quickly unravelled.
Four bogeys in six holes around the turn did the damage for the World No. 10 in a five-over 75.
Viktor Hovland (+6)
Credit to the Norwegian, who came close at the PGA Championship, for digging in after a first round he’ll definitely want to forget.
Hovland’s still tinkering, and clearly a work in progress, but a second round 68 should give him some heart going into the rest of the season.
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The 78 on day one did for him, but he so nearly made up the deficit.
Justin Rose (+6)
The Merion winner will rue the 12th at Pinehurst No. 2. A double there, and par run for home, means Justin missed out by the narrowest of margins.
Jason Day (+8)
Where did that 77 come from? The Australian has been trending in the right direction throughout 2024, but 41 strokes on the front side is only going to see you tumble down the leaderboard.
Rickie Fowler (+8)
A second day he will definitely want to forget. Starting at +1 following an opening 71, his second round began with a bogey at the 10th and didn’t get any better.
There wasn’t a single birdie on the card and seven bogeys is always going to have you packing your bags.
Dustin Johnson (+9)
While Bryson’s doing his bit for the LIV Golf brigade, DJ continues to look way off the pace in the biggest tournaments. His tied 10th at last year’s US Open at LA Country Club is starting to look like an outlier. He’s now missed two of the three major cuts this year.
Justin Thomas (+11)
Top 10 at the PGA Championship now looks like a bright spark in an otherwise stop-start season and a forlorn spell in major championships.
JT is another whose US Open was all but over after the first day. 77 isn’t going to cut it at this level.
Phil Mickelson (+15)
The US Open is the one that has famous got away for Lefty, not least here at Pinehurst in 1999, and it looks like the six-time runner up has had his day. The damage was done in the first round, with no recovery from a nine-over-par 79.
Pictures courtesy of the USGA
Now have your say
Which of these big names missing the US Open cut has surprised you the most? Why not let me know by leaving a comment on X?
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