World’s top three miss US Open cut Ko stumbles late to slip off the pace Fiji on hooter
There was proof all over this new course that an Open door swings both ways. In fact, the players exiting were the most noteworthy. Despite another crush of low scores, the US Open yesterday became at least as much about who is out than who is in.
No doubt, the packed leaderboard bodes for a wild weekend at Erin Hills, with Paul Casey, Brian Harman, Tommy Fleetwood and Brooks Koepka tied for the second-round lead at sevenunder-par 137. First round leader Rickie Fowler is in a three-way tie at six-under, followed by an eclectic mix of five golfers at five-under.
‘‘We’re in a good spot,’’ Fowler said, referring to his status in the first-person plural after shooting one-over 73. ‘‘So it should be a fun weekend.’’
It is going to be a surprisingly quiet weekend for defending champion and world No 1 Dustin Johnson, as well as Nos 2 and 3 Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, all of whom missed the cut. It was the first time since the official world rankings began in 1986 that the top three all missed the cut in a major.
And none of them was particularly close on a first-time major championship layout that has played soft.
‘‘Everything was in good shape. But you don’t really know until you put a card in your hand and you’re under the gun a little bit,’’ said McIlroy, who said goodbye at fiveover.
Said Johnson, who was threeover: ‘‘I really like this golf course, it sets up well for me. As we all know, this game is all about putting. I just didn’t get it in the hole fast enough.’’
Day, at 10-over, said: ‘‘I mean, the scores were out there. If you hit the fairways, the scores are there.’’
Proof of that came from Hideki Matsuyama and Chez Reavie, who both shot 65 yesterday. Combined with Fowler’s 65 on Friday, this marked the first time that three golfers had seven-under rounds in the same Open. Japan’s Matsuyama, 25, and a four-time PGA Tour winner, had a putt for birdie on the par-five 18th hole, which would have been only the second eight-under round in US Open history, matching Johnny Miller’s 63 at par-71 Oakmont in 1973.
‘‘I thought 63 was the number. I wasn’t thinking too much about eight-under,’’ he said through an interpreter. Matsuyama, part of the group at five-under, had a simple explanation why: ‘‘The biggest difference was I putted very well today . . . There were a couple of loose swings out there, but when you shoot 65, you can take those.’’
There is no telling what the weekend will bring – starting with the weather, which includes a possibility of thunderstorms that could delay play and make the greens soft again. Newsday Lydia Ko followed up a strong start with a disappointing second round that leaves the Kiwi golfer tied for 14th at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
Ko carded a par 71 at the Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids after two bogeys and one double bogey wiped out four birdies.
In the month where Ko lost her world No 1 ranking to Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, Ko hit six-under on day one in Michigan.
She shared eighth and trailed leader Brooke Henderson by two shots, but the Canadian remains the clubhouse leader ahead of the third round on 12-under and two shots clear of her nearest rivals.
Ko trails Henderson by six shots after falling down the leaderboard to 14th because of a bad finish to her third round, which included a double bogey on the 15th, and a bogey on the 16th, before a birdie on the 17th brought her round back to par.
Henderson bogeyed the final two holes for a four-under 67, leaving the 19-year-old Canadian with a two-stroke lead.
Henderson had seven birdies – four in a row on Nos 9-12 – and three bogeys to reach 12-under 130 and break the 36-hole record at Blythefield. She had a one-stroke lead on Friday after an opening 63.
Her approach on the par-four 17th rolled down a hill and she two-putted.
‘‘Could have been really close to being a great shot,’’ Henderson said.
‘‘I practised that shot in the practice rounds and it jumped forward on the first bounce there and I don’t think I got that today. So, unfortunately, it’s a tough hole and I just came away with bogey, which is not really what I was looking for.’’
On the par-four 18th, she missed the green, left her chip well short and missed the long par putt.
‘‘I kind of let emotions get into things and I was chasing birdie to try and get it back,’’ Henderson said. ‘‘Unfortunately, two bogeys to finish. Hopefully, that just gives me a little bit more motivation going into tomorrow.’’ -AP Rugby: An 82nd-minute drop goal from Ben Volavola has lifted Fiji to a 22-19 victory over Italy. With the game locked up at 19-19 with five minutes remaining in Suva, both sides had chances before Volavola delivered the knockout blow. The first-five nailed the kick from right in front under a penalty advantage after Italy inexplicably coughed up the ball inside their 22 from a scrum with time up on the clock.