Thomas burns up Erin Hills with record score

Thomas mixed nine birdies and two bogeys before hitting his second shot to six feet on the par-five 18th hole and tapped in for eagle to record the lowest round (9-under) in relation to par in US Open history.

A U.S. Open short on big names – with a leaderboard that at times seemed like a phonebook of random people – found a bright star under a partially cloudy sky at Erin Hills. “That’s pretty neat to do it in the U.S. Open”, said Koepka. With about two hours left in the second round, the cut was looking to be 1-over par, which would tie a U.S. Open record.

This might have been more than anyone was expecting.

In the 116 previous U.S. Opens, only six players had ever reached 10-under par or better, never in the same tournament.

It didn’t for Rory McIlroy, either. And none of them was particularly close on a first-time major championship layout that has played soft. Jon Rahm. Justin Rose.

It will be a different kind of moment, without the world’s top three, and with the leading 12 having a combined zero major titles.

Harman had one bogey Saturday, at the par-4 third hole, to go with six birdies.

The Spaniard posted a one-under 71 in Friday’s second round for a three-under-par total of 141 as the afternoon wave of players were beginning their rounds at Erin Hills.

Casey is not the only Englishman atop the leaderboard as he is joined by Tommy Fleetwood, who had an excellent round of 70, and is a group of four all at the top of the leaderboard going into round 3.

“It doesn’t need to be too much of a change for this golf course to play pretty hard”, he said. “And you can’t do anything about what anybody else is doing”, Fleetwood said.

But the third-round leader at the U.S. Open?

Stricker improved by a stroke even though Erin Hills showed a few more teeth than it had in Thursday’s opening round. There have been no reports yet of anyone getting sick.

Friday wasn’t almost as favorable for the world’s three-top ranked players, none of whom will move onto the weekend.

Dustin Johnson was right on the cut line with eight holes to play.

Then, inexplicably, he lost his putting touch. Fowler and Rahm each shot 73. I think I hit 11 fairways other than the five I did (on Thursday). “I couldn’t possibly shoot any higher than I did. I just didn’t get it in the hole fast enough”. Harman, 30, actually won the 2003 U.S. Junior Amateur. McIlroy came to life when it was far too late.

McIlroy dismissed the notion of being rusty before the tournament, but conceded on his way out of Wisconsin that he hasn’t played almost enough.

Oh, and how about this fantastic Thomas birdie putt at the fifth!?!??! “We’re definitely in good position for tomorrow”.

McIlroy did fare better than Jason Day, who is heading home after shooting 10 over par for the two rounds. Friday’s round included five birdies and two bogeys.

Then he had a run of three birdies.

“I felt the most calm I have in a major in a long time this week”, said Day, who arrived last Friday.