McIlroy misses the cut after double bogey at the last seals his fate as Johnson holds nerve
Ulsterman can only add a 71 to his opening round 77 Mickelson heading home after finishing six over par
For a while it looked like Rory McIlroy might grace us with something special at the 116th US Open at Oakmont. One day after his opening round of 77 with a 90-minute lesson from his coach, Michael Bannon, the Irishman made four birdies in his first six holes after starting on the 10th tee. That momentum, however, was soon enough to stall, McIlroy’s growing irritation more and more evident as he headed for disaster.
After finding the green at the 313-yard par-four 17th with his threewood tee-shot, the four-time major champion disappointingly three-putted for par. One hole later, a wedge to 35-feet met with disapproval, the recalcitrant club tossed back to the bag.
Then, after finding the green in regulation at the 426-yard par-four fourth, McIlroy four-putted, the last three from inside six feet. Even worse, a bunkered tee-shot and two shots in the sand led to a double-bogey at the par-four ninth and condemned the world No 3 to a third missed cut at the US Open.
Dustin Johnson also knows a thing or two about failure in major championships. The leader with 18-holes to play in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, the then 26-year-old shot 82 in the final round to finish joint eighth. Two months later, grounding his club in a bunker he thought was a sandy waste area on the final hole at Whistling Straits in the USPGA Championship, Johnson was penalised two shots and so missed out on a spot in a sudden-death play-off.
And who can forget the three-putts he took from short range on the 72nd green at Chambers Bay a year ago? Two putts would have put Johnson in a playoff for the US Open with eventual champion Jordan Spieth.
Twelve months on from that catastrophic lapse, Johnson is back for more and led the tournament after 36 holes. Four under par, the South Carolinian had a one-shot edge over compatriot Andrew Landry. Sergio Garcia, Gregory Bourdy and Shane Lowry led the European challenge. All three were two-under par and tied for third.
Still, Johnson – who completed his