ROLLER-COASTER RIDE FOR CASEY ON TOUGHER DAY 2
Erin Hills fought back on Friday and the world’s top three players won’t be around for the weekend at the U.S. Open.
After a record number of scores under par during Thursday’s first round, anyone who knows the USGA’s style knew things wouldn’t be quite as simple in Friday’s Round 2. A day after Rickie Fowler’s seven-under opening round, that same score is still leading but it’s shared by four players, not including Fowler, who shot a one-over 73 to sit one back.
The leaders are Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka, Brian Harman and Tommy Fleetwood. Of the group, it was Casey who had the wildest day. The Englishman shot a one-under 71, but had to fight back from two bogeys and a triple bogey in his first six holes.
“It’s not every day you enjoy a round of golf with an eight on the card,” Casey said. “But I’m a pretty happy man.”
Casey birdied five holes in a row after the rough stretch and was the first player in the clubhouse at seven-under. He said his 16 years of experience allowed him to keep the wheels from falling off on the par-five 14th hole.
“It was a good display, all my own fault, but a good display of what can happen if you get out of position on this golf course,” he said. “Even just trying to take my medicine was very, very difficult. It’s a good eight in the end.”
Koepka, Harman and Fleetwood all shot matching twounder 70s to join Casey at seven under.
While Erin Hills was still not playing as difficult as many past U.S. Open courses, it was beginning to firm up following the early week rain, plus the USGA had a few tricks up its sleeve.
“The greens were still receptive to good shots, but they were firmer and faster,” Fowler said. “Mistakes got exaggerated a little bit more. There were a couple of dicey pin placements out there that you had to be careful about, but it was still scoreable.”
The biggest move of the day came from Hideki Matsuyama. The world’s fourth-ranked player birdied six of his first eight holes, shooting six-under 30 going out. With one more birdie on the back nine, Matsuyama carded a sparkling seven-under 65, matching Fowler for the low round of the week. The Japanese star began the day at two-over par and is now five-under and just two shots back of the lead.
“I really haven’t been hitting the ball well as of late,” Matsuyama said.
“To shoot a good round like today, I’m certainly looking forward to the weekend.”
Matsuyama will be the topranked player at Erin Hills over the next two days after Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day all failed to make the cut.
Johnson (+4) can’t be too upset to be travelling home to California to see his newborn baby. It might sting a little more for McIlroy (+5) and Day (+10), who played in the same group and said after their round that they were consoling each other along the way. McIlroy expressed fondness for Erin Hills despite heading home early.
“Not your typical U.S. Open setup, but I’m a big fan,” McIlroy said. “I think it’s going to produce a really great champion.”
It was McIlroy’s first tournament since taking time off to tend to a recurring rib injury. Day, however, said he felt ready to go before flaming out early.
“It’s been the best preparation going into a major, I felt like, in my career,” he said.
Tied with Fowler at six-under par are Jamie Lovemark and J.B. Holmes.