Mass. firefighter Parziale makes the weekend cut

The Massachusetts birthplace of boxing champions Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler will have another favorite son to root for this weekend.

Brockton firefighter and Mid-Amateur champion Matt Parziale made the cut at the U.S. Open on Friday, the first Mid-Am to survive the first two rounds since 2003. So while big names like Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy will be going home, Parziale will be at Shinnecock Hills on Father's Day with his dad, Vic, as his caddie.

"I don't know why you wouldn't dream and try to do the best you can," said Parziale, who also earned an invitation to the Masters with his Mid-Am victory, but missed the cut.

Parziale was one of three amateurs to make the cut, which was at 178, or 8 over.

CONCENTRATION LAPSES

Justin Rose and Ian Poulter both had meltdowns at the end of their rounds as they tried to cut into Dustin Johnson's lead.

Rose three-putted from 34 feet on the par-4, 439-yard eighth hole and followed that with another bogey on No. 9 to finish the day with an even-par 70. That left him 1 over after two rounds, tied for fourth and five strokes behind Johnson. He blamed himself for losing focus at the end of a long day.

Poulter was within one stroke of Johnson when he mis-hit a series of shots, starting from the bunker on No. 8, for a triple bogey. He finished with a bogey on the ninth hole to end the day tied with Rose, Henrik Stenson, Brooks Koepka, and Tommy Fleetwood in fourth.

WALKER ON THE WILD SIDE

2016 PGA Champion Jimmy Walker had two eagles on Friday — a great round by most measures. Too bad he also had four bogeys and a double bogey that left him even par for the day and 5 over for the tournament.

Walker eagled the 610yard, par-5 16th with a 15-foot putt, and had a 2 on the par-4 fourth when he holed out from a fairway bunker.

QUICK TURNAROUND

First-round co-leader Scott Piercy didn't need social media to straighten things out after playing his first nine holes at 3 over on Friday.

He had three birdies (and a bogey) on the last six holes to finish at 1 over and even par for the tournament.

The 2016 U.S. Open runner-up had such an awful practice round on Wednesday that he watched videos he had posted on Instagram to figure out his swing. He came out Thursday and shot 1 under — one of four golfers in the overnight lead.

Friday didn't start out so well. Starting on the back nine, he was 3 over when he got to the fourth hole and rattled off back-to-back birdies. After a bogey on the eighth hole, he finished with another birdie on No. 9.

WEATHER REPORT

Tiger Woods arrived at the course without an umbrella, thinking he wouldn't need it. But after gusting winds and sunny skies on Thursday, golfers saw a wider range of weather for the second round.

The morning was chilly, with rain alternating with a heavy mist. The sun came out just before noon, and players ditched their long sleeves. In the afternoon, it was cooler, and cloudy.

ROCKY REED

Masters champion Patrick Reed will need some low scores on the weekend if there is going to be a Grand Slam this year.

Reed won his first major in April at Augusta and opened with a 73 on a very difficult first day at Shinnecock Hills, four strokes behind the leaders. He shot 72 in the second round but fell to nine strokes back.