BROOKLINE, Mass. – There was a lot going on in the first round of the 2022 US Open. The necessary drama around Phil Mickelson? Check. A few clubs launched? You bet. Are the kids running away with the ball from reigning champion Jon Rahm in the 18th hole? OKAY. Wild turkeys in the field? For sure.
Friday’s second round promises even more.
Canadian Adam Hadwin (4 minus) was the leader after a day at the Brookline Country Club. Hadwin was the replacement. He had a 1-shot lead over Rory McIlroy and four more. McIlroy, who won the RBC Canadian Open last week, was one of those who pitched a club on Thursday, during a motivated first round that saw him score 67.
What will happen in the second round? We’ll find out.
Cameron Young hits the clutch
What’s the best thing you can do if you’re trying to make the cut at the U.S. Open? Let Cameron Young prove it. By the way, this is the first hole in one at the U.S. Open since the first round of the 2020 event, and it’s the first ace of Cameron Young’s PGA Tour.
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Cameron Young with a memory he will never forget at Par-3 6th. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/vFIi1IJGqI
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Tarren is a surprise leader
If you’re surprised to see the English name Callum Tarren at the top of the rankings, you’re not alone. This is the second time the tour debutant has qualified for the US Open and the second time he has arrived without his clubs.
At the 2019 U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, their clubs did not appear until Wednesday. He borrowed Tyrrell Hatton’s clubs until his bag arrived. After Tarren missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last week, his clubs did not make it to Boston. He played a training round with just one wedge. Tarren, who played at Radford University in Virginia, only has one finish in the top 10 on the tour and has missed 10 cuts in 17 starts. – Mark Schlabach
The defending champion is marked. @ JonRahmPGA is two @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/YJmOFmMZlv
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
267 meters away. Blind approach. @JonRahmPGA approaches with a 4 iron and turns the eagle. He’s behind @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/hsT19FTpsV
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Collin Morikawa on the other hand, had a terrible day. He shot 69 on Thursday and is at the top of the rankings.
Warming up 🔥 @Collin_Morikawa is tied for the lead in Brookline. pic.twitter.com/asVBWlE1nv
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
The champion is here
The defending champion is marked. @ JonRahmPGA is two @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/YJmOFmMZlv
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
267 meters away. Blind approach. @JonRahmPGA approaches with a 4 iron and turns the eagle. He’s behind @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/hsT19FTpsV
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Birds of a feather
Scottie Scheffler, the top player in the world golf rankings, shot 2 below in the first round and is up in the standings on Friday. In hole 14 of par-5, Scheffler paused for a wild turkey to cross its path and then made an eagle in the hole.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER 😮
Number 1 is a backlash. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Frj1nTp0f1
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
4 down in his last 4 holes.
Scottie Scheffler is tied for the @USOpenGolf lead. pic.twitter.com/v22EnhBjFu
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Mickelson is likely to miss the cut
Patrick Smith / Getty Images
The good news for Phil Mickelson, after he came out limping on Friday from the ninth green at The Country Club outside of Boston, is that he won’t have to worry about making the cut on his next outing in two weeks.
Mickelson didn’t make it to the U.S. Open, though he played better in Friday’s second round. He scored a 3-over 73, dropping his total of 36 holes to 11-over. He was tied at 143rd among 156 players when he left the field.
“I enjoyed the week. I just wished I had played better,” Mickelson said afterward, before jumping on a complimentary SUV with his team and leaving the club.
– Schlabach
If you are not the first …
After firing his second pair of 70s from the tournament to stay level for the weekend, Brooks Koepka was asked on Friday about the kind of confidence he usually projects even after bad rounds.
“I’m not coming here waiting for second place,” Koepka said. “I’m pretty sure.”
Brooks Koepka shot a 3 under 67 in round 2 to get to 3 of the lead.
His last four US Open starts:
T42nd🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/Y7osJzF8HY
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Koepka’s confidence also comes with a dose of carefreeness. He downplayed his eagle in the par-5 14, and when asked about his feelings after being disappointed in the last two majors, he mentioned that after finishing in T-55 at the PGA Championship in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was “ready to go.” married “and” waiting for that party, “but who” was angry “after losing the Masters cut.
“I feel like I’ve played a lot better than maybe the results,” said the four-time winner. “I feel like it’s been very close. Maybe the results haven’t reflected that, but it’s only a matter of time.” – Paolo Uggetti
Larry Fitzgerald at home
@LarryFitzgerald is a BIG fan of @McIlroyRory 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/MDoolnJXjA
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Local knowledge?
Scott Stallings is from New England, so he knows the area. The person presenting it on the first tee before the second round on Friday … not so much.
Stallings grew up 45 minutes from The Country Club. So while most of the people around the first shirt were waiting for McIlroy, who was in the next group, Stallings would have a little love when his name was announced. That’s when things went awry. Stallings introduced himself as “War-chester,” Massachusetts. He is from Worcester, pronounced “Wu-ster” or “Woo-stah.”
The fans behind the shirt had fun with that.
“Anem, War-chester.”
“Come on, War-chester, you have this.”
The stops started the day at 4, which is just around the cutting line. If it’s a weekend, they may be right in their hometown.
For the rough? https://t.co/6WvzLyEKLN
– Sir Nick Faldo (@ NickFaldo006) June 17, 2022
Who is MJ Daffue?
One of the first leaders of the 122nd U.S. Open on Friday has 822 (and more) followers on Twitter as of Friday morning. Two years ago, he won $ 5,750 on the All Pro Tour. He is also a volunteer assistant coach in Houston. But after making the turn at 6 a.m. Friday, MJ Daffue (pronounced “Duffey”) had a brief lead over Rory McIlroy, Matt Fitzpatrick and three more. Daffue, 33, was born in South Africa and played at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He has already won his PGA Tour card for the 2022-23 season thanks to his good play on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he is fourth in The 25. He qualified for his first major championship by sharing the honors of medalist in a tie. in Springfield, Ohio, and is making the most of it so far. – Schlabach
With four birdies and a bogey over his first nine, MJ Daffue is three times ahead of the start of round 2 of the #USOpen.pic.twitter.com/5UC6t0zSWe
– Golf Central (@GolfCentral) June 17, 2022
NEW LEADER @ mjdaffue13 (-5) is rolling early rock at the Country Club! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ysokKKuUBm
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Hands in the air for dad to be alone 1st @usopengolf! @ Mjdaffue13 leads for 2 times. pic.twitter.com/ngvUVQeaYK
– Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) June 17, 2022
Daffue later made a 14-hole par-5 mess on Friday. Somehow, he fired his shot at an elevated walkway near the hospitality area on the left. It had tents, spectators and an oak tree on its left and a temporary fence on its right. After his caddy, Cougars golf coach Jonathan Dismuke handed him a hybrid, Daffue hit his ball with a carpet similar to artificial turf. Surprisingly, his ball landed on the deep asphalt above the green. However, he failed to get his third shot, and then overtook the pin by about 7 feet. From there, he doubled for a bogey, which dropped him to 4 below. – Schlabach
“I came straight upon you, sir.”
Solo leader @ mjdaffue13 hits one on the deck … literally. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/5bo0YIIgpe
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
Great early shots
Brooks Koepka, Cameron Smith, Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson and Mickelson are among the big names on the course early Friday.
. @ SamBurns66 ALMOST had our first @USOpenGolf ace 🎯 pic.twitter.com/kQamZLtLCX
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Making it seem easy from DEEP 👀 @BKoepka starts quickly @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/6VDPNYaEpY
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
Long birdie putts are all the rage this morning at the Country Club! @ JustinThomas34 (+1) decided to take part in the event. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/13qNA4itrf
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
A hole. A bird. @ShaneLowryGolf drops it from a distance @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/HXk7mfxe17
– PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022
The US Open is not easy
The U.S. Open likes to say it’s the toughest test of golf. A high rough often leads to high scores. PGA champion Justin Thomas enters hole 10, where he started his second round on Friday.
Well. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/hbULyfO1ay
– US Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022
According to shooting data provided by the USGA, that one was, oh, 5 feet. Thomas continued to make an initial double bogey. He was followed by a bogey at 11 and another at 14.