The second round of the 122nd U.S. Open is in the books and what a Friday at Brookline it was. Major champions abound on a leaderboard that should ensure the only plan you have for tonight is a comfy seat in front of the TV.
Beforehand, here’s five things you may have missed while you were asleep to help you get up to speed for what shapes as an intriguing moving day at The Country Club.
Morikawa and Dahmen co-lead
Collin Morikawa turned up to the U.S. Open with his trademark cut replaced by a pesky draw and no idea why.
“This entire year has been weird. I’ve been known for my irons and known to hit cuts. That shot just hasn’t been there,” the world No.7 said.
Joel Dahmen, likewise, gave himself little chance of winning America’s national championship. In fact, he told ’The Athletic’ pre event that he didn’t have the game to win a major or play in a Ryder Cup and admitted that he almost didn’t tee it up in qualifying for Brookline as a result (he did and qualified easily). 
Fast-forward to Friday night in Massachusetts and the pair co-lead their 122nd national championship at -5, Morikawa after a best of the day 66 and Dahmen a 68 to go with his opening 67. Yes, golf is a funny old game.
With 13 players within two strokes (defending champion Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy and world No.1 Scottie Scheffler among them), and another 15 within five, Morikawa and Dahmen have 36 stressful holes ahead of them if either is to claim the Wannamaker. But you’ve got to fancy Morikawa’s chances in particular given he’s already a two-time major champion at age 25. And perhaps he’s cunning too; remember before he captured last year’s Open Championship at Royal St George’s that Morikawa missed the cut at the Scottish Open and foxed everyone by saying links golf had him stumped.
After the first 36-holes here, he’s not fooling anyone any more.
Who the heck is Hayden Buckley?
Given he’s missed six of his last seven cuts on the PGA Tour, it’s little wonder few have heard of Korn Ferry Tour graduate Hayden Buckley who finds himself in a five-way share of third after 36 holes. But if history is to repeat itself, the 26-year-old American could be a superstar come Sunday. Here’s the PGA Tour with the fairytale stats:
Hayden Buckley (68-68) is the fifth player since 2010 to begin the U.S. Open with a 68 or better in each of the first two rounds. The previous four all went on to win:
Gary Woodland, 2019 (68-65)
Jordan Spieth, 2015 (68-67)
Martin Kaymer, 2014 (65-65)
Rory McIlroy, 2011 (65-66)— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 17, 2022
Buckley dreamed of playing major league baseball but had that dream crushed early by disinterested college scouts. He wasn’t much chop at golf either, making the University of Missouri roster as the 15th and last player on a 2% scholarship. He often struggled to break 80 but he stuck and by the end of university was a third-team All-American and the male athlete of the year at Mizzou.
Now Florida-based, Buckley’s big break came in February 2021 when he turned up pre-dawn to the Korn Ferry Tour’s LECOM Suncoast Classic without a guaranteed start. Following a late withdrawal, he made it into the field and went on to win which in turn led to gaining his PGA Tour card this season.
“I know from experience what one week can do,” Buckley said.
It’s fair to assume Buckley won’t know himself if he can keep it going this week.
Jon Rahm doesn’t want to hand over the Wannamaker Trophy
Also tied third on -4 is Jon Rahm who is playing the role of defending champion rather nicely.
Rounds of 69-67 has the world No.2 just a stroke behind the co-leaders and level pegging with world No.3 Rory McIlroy, among others.
Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion.@JonRahmpga is just 1 behind Morikawa in a tie for 2nd. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/fw8kX0KAqD
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Having won at Torrey Pines 12 months ago, Rahm knows exactly what it takes to win the U.S. Open, namely not beating yourself with wayward shots into the penal rough, something the Spaniard has thus far avoided. Indeed, the way Rahm has played the opening 36-holes, and especially how he has holed momentum-saving putts, gives rise to the belief he won’t easily throw away his hugely positive start.
“A setup like this, where you have some rough to deal with, really puts a premium on all aspects of the game,” Rahm said. “The more I play this course, the more I like it.”
Rahm’s peers can’t say they haven’t be warned.
McIlroy is hanging tough
Given Rory McIlroy’s rare talent, and the eight year lack of a major championship title to re-emphasise said genius, every round is a rollercoaster ride for his legion of fans. Make that every hole in a major.
So it proved on Friday when the Northern Irishman pushed it into the deep fescue on the par-4 3rd at The Country Club and took three slashes in the hay from there to advance it onto the green. Was this the moment McIlroy would implode again? No Sir. A clutch putt confined the damage to a double bogey. 
When he dropped another shot at the 10th, McIlroy, really got the bit between his teeth, three birdies in his final eight holes getting him to -4 and just a shot off the lead through 36-holes.
“After I bogeyed 10, I just wanted to try to shoot under par. I had some chances coming up,” he said. “Just played a really clean eight holes, which was pleasing. Hit fairways, hit greens, gave myself chances. Got myself right back in the tournament.”
Indeed. Perhaps, just maybe, McIlroy is learning to get out of his own way, the very thing that has seem to derail him in just about every major since he hoisted the claret jug for the fourth is his major titles at Riyal Liverpool in 2014.
“I think I ride waves of momentum pretty easily. Certainly whenever you get on the crest of a wave and you try to ride it as long as you can, and I’ve gotten a little bit better at trying not to ride the other ones downwardly.”
Here’s hoping.
JT and Hovland in reverse
We’ve all had a ticket on the bogey-train and know how hard it is to disembark mid-round. Sadly Viktor Hovland rode the bogey-train right out of Brookline on Friday, a 77 seeing the Norwegian go from four off the lead after the opening round to having the weekend off at +7, four shots outside the cutline.
It wasn’t so bad for Justin Thomas although it was a surprise to see the freshly minted U.S. PGA champion slide to a share of 31st at +1 following a two-over 72.
Other big names to miss the +3 cut included Sergio Garcia, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Billy Horschel (all +4), Tommy Fleetwood (+7), and Phil Mickelson (+11). Dubai resident Adri Arnaus also has the weekend off after rounds of 76-71 left him +7.
Buckle up, baby! #USOpen
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 18, 2022
