OAKMONT, Pa. — Sam Burns fired a 5-under-par 65, the lowest round of the week thus far, and took over the second-round lead at the U.S. Open on Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
Burns had six birdies, one bogey and a key par save at his final hole to wrap up the low round. He was one off the lead when he headed to the clubhouse at 3-under 137.
First-round leader J.J. Spaun teed off in the afternoon and followed the eighth bogey-free round at Oakmont in U.S. Open history with six bogeys on Friday. But Spaun managed a 2-over 72 and settled into second place at 2 under for the championship.
On Friday the 13th, play was suspended at 8:15 p.m. with 13 players left on the course. They will complete their rounds Saturday morning.
Oakmont was uniquely difficult Friday in a way that wasn’t fully evident Thursday. Just six players broke even par in the second round; there were 13 rounds in the 80s, and the field’s scoring average stood at 74.75.
Norway’s Viktor Hovland, who posted a 68 in the morning wave, was the only other player in red figures through 36 holes at 1 under. Australia’s Adam Scott carded his second straight 70 to stay at even par, tied for fourth with Ben Griffin (71).
“I think mentally there’s no just kind of gimme hole,” Burns said. “There’s no hole where you can get up there and just hit it and not really pay attention to what you’re trying to do. I think it requires a lot of focus on every shot, and even when you’re in the rough and you’re trying to get it back in the fairway, it’s just every shot is difficult.”
Burns, who shot a final-round 62 Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open before losing in a playoff, started his second round on the back nine and birdied Nos. 11, 13, 17 and 18. He responded to his lone bogey at No. 1 by stopping his approach shot at No. 2 about 6 feet from the pin to set up his next birdie.
After birdieing the par-5 fourth, Burns’ drive at No. 9 was buried in a patch of thick rough and he opted to take a drop and a penalty stroke. He hit his next shot to 22 1/2 feet from the pin — and proceeded to drain the long, left-to-right putt to save par.
“I played really well (Thursday) other than the finishing holes,” Burns said. “So I think today was just kind of getting mentally ready to come out and try to put a good round together. I feel like I’ve been playing well coming off last week and into this week and my round (Thursday). Really just trying to get yourself in position out here and give yourself as many looks as you can.”
Spaun was even par through 14 holes, having gone bogey-birdie or birdie-bogey three times. Then he three-putted for bogey at the 15th and added another at the par-3 16th.
Spaun got back to 3 under by draining a 23-foot birdie putt at No. 17, but he couldn’t get up and down for par at the last.
“A few years ago I would probably expect to play poorly today,” Spaun said of sleeping on the lead. “But I knew it would be hard to back up a bogey-free 4-under at Oakmont in the U.S. Open. So I’m just glad that I kept it together.”
Hovland chipped in for birdie at No. 10 and for eagle at the short par-4 No. 17 to match Burns’ hot start, but he hit some turbulence with three birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey the rest of the way.
“I was 4 under at one point myself, and it does feel like, man, if you’re just executing and you’re getting some nice bounces and you’re making some putts, you can definitely shoot a low score,” Hovland said. “But you’re just not very far off before you’re making a bogey or a double bogey, and that can happen multiple holes in a row.”
Of the top five on the leaderboard, only Scott has previous experience winning a major.
“I have … put together a nice career, but I think another major more would really go a long way in fulfilling my own self, when it’s all said and done,” Scott said. “This is all I’m really playing for are these big events.”
The top 60 players and ties will qualify for the final two rounds, and the cut line settled at 7 over par.
Rory McIlroy (72) made two double bogeys over his first three holes and appeared to be headed for disaster. But he steadied out from there and played 2-under for the rest of the round, including a crucial birdie at No. 18 that ensured the Northern Irishman will make the cut at 6 over.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had an adventurous 71 — five bogeys, four birdies — and is 4 over with Collin Morikawa (74). Jordan Spieth (75) sits at 5 over and Xander Schauffele (74) squeaked in at 6 over.
Ludvig Aberg of Sweden (8 over), Phil Mickelson (8 over), defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (10 over), 2016 Oakmont champion Dustin Johnson (10 over), Justin Thomas (12 over) and Irishman Shane Lowry (17 over) were among the many to miss the cut.
One day after Patrick Reed recorded the fourth albatross in U.S. Open history, France’s Victor Perez made a hole-in-one at the par-3 sixth hole, the second-ever ace during a U.S. Open at Oakmont.
He shot 70 and is tied for sixth at 1 over with South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who has a 4-foot par putt waiting him on No. 18.
“You try to just make pars and survive,” Perez said, “and when you get kind of a chip-in, bonuses, something like that (the hole-in-one), it definitely is nice to let off a little emotion.”
–Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
