Here’s Ewan Murray’s report from the second round:
So tomorrow Dustin Johnson will go out in the final group with one of the players who trailed in second after him at Oakmont two years ago: Scott Piercy. (Unless Micky DeMorat, making his professional and US Open debut this week, picks up three shots in his last four holes.) But this is how the top of the leader board looks as we wrap up this report. See you tomorrow for Moving Day!
-4: D Johnson
E: Piercy, Hoffman
+1: Fleetwood, Stenson, Rose, Koepka, Poulter
Hoffman’s chip up onto 18 threatens to topple all the way back down the fairway. It just about stays on the green but that was very nervy, and he’s left with a long, long par putt. He leaves it eight feet short. He rattles in the bogey putt. That’s a 69, and once again there’s only one man under par. Meanwhile it’s a 72 for Charles Howell: he’s +3. And it’s three putts from the back of 9 for Fitzpatrick; he slips to +3 but will be happy enough with today’s 70.
Back on the 18th tee, Hoffman lashes his drive into the first cut down the right. He can only hack out, and will be doing well to save his par. See also: Matthew Fitzpatrick, who flies his second through the back of 9. This has been a wonderfully exciting afternoon of golf, as players jostle for position ahead of Moving Day, in the hope of launching a challenge at Dustin Johnson over the weekend.
All In Good Nick Going Into The Weekend dept. Rickie Fowler comes up short with his second at 18, but chops his third up to eight feet. He can’t save his par, though, and signs for a 69. Still, he’s +2. A 70 for Hideki Matsuyama. He’s +5 overall. And a 69 for Marc Leishman, who is +3 and could be a dark horse for this title.
Spieth hangs his head: his championship is almost certainly over. He pushes his par putt to the right. It’s never dropping, and that’s a bogey-bogey finish to follow those four straight birdies. What a sickener for the young Texan, who shot 71 today. But all the damage was done yesterday. He’s +9 ... and has the thousand-yard stare on. McIlroy pars. He’s back in 31, but it’s all way too late. He’s been nowhere near good enough this week, and at +10 he’s off home. He’s long known the jig was up, and doesn’t seem quite so distraught. A 70 today. Lefty survives, though, having shot a marvellous 69. He’s +6, and won’t have given up hope of completing that career slam this week yet. It’d just take one Dustin meltdown, after all.
Charley Hoffman becomes only the second man under par! He curls in a big left-to-right breaker on 16 to move to -1. But there’s trouble for Spieth up on 18. He sends his second through the green, but instead of toppling into a bunker, it sticks in some long grass guarding the sand. He’s got a delicate chip coming back ... and he chunks it! His ball still dribbles down to six feet, but his shoulders drop immediately: he knows he’s now got to make that putt to be sure of staying here this weekend. He’s not going to undo all that great work, is he?
The defending champion Brooks Koepka signs for a 66. The second of the day, after Tommy Fleetwood. Both men have catapulted themselves up the leader board to +1. Patrick Reed birdies 18 to sign for a 72: he’s +5. And heading the other way: Ian Poulter, who leaves his second into 9 short and left. He’s forced to blast out from sand, to 12 feet. He leaves the par putt short, and that’s a 7-5 finish. He cards a second-round 72. It’ll feel like an 82 right now, after the shenanigans at 8, but upon reflection he’ll realise he’s five shots off the lead going into the weekend of a US Open.
Rickie Fowler had dropped one at 15, but he’s bounced straight back at the par-five 16th. He’s +1 again. Rory McIlroy meanwhile makes it four birdies on the back nine at 17, but this is way too late: he’s +10. And his partner Jordan Spieth ends his birdie blitz with a three-putt bogey; he slips to +8 and is dicing with that cut line again! The last hour or so has been positively trippy.
Two putts from the back of the green, and that’s a triple bogey seven for Ian Poulter. I suppose if you’re going to suffer your widescreen disaster, it’s better to have it on Friday afternoon rather than Sunday. That’s the only way Poulter can look at that fiasco. Anyway, he’s back to level par now, and all of a sudden Dustin Johnson is four in the lead again. Only one player in the field under par!
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Piercy (F), Poulter (17*), Hoffman (15)
That was astonishing. Dustinesque. In further bad news for the English challenge, Rose leaks his drive at 9 into the rough, and is always chasing his par. He can’t make it, and that’s a bogey-bogey finish. A 70 for Rose, and he’s back where he started. Meanwhile up on 16, Jordan Spieth makes it four birdies on the bounce, and he’s +7. His weekend attendance looks almost guaranteed now. He was totally out of it an hour ago! He’s a force of nature when his back’s to the wall. Jordan Spieth, ladies and gentlemen!
A rush of blood to Poulter’s head, and suddenly his round threatens to unravel! He dumps his second to the 8th into a greenside bunker ... then thins his third a good 40 yards over the other side of the green! His ball has landed on a patch of tatty grass, and he’s got to chip over a clump of fescue ... and he doesn’t commit to the shot at all, sending it bumping apologetically into the thick grass in front of him! This is disastrous. He’s hitting five out of the oomska ... and can only bundle the ball out of the filth and onto the fringe of the green. A total capitulation. Oh Poults!
Beef’s been on a miserable run. He parred every hole on the back nine, but since turning he’s bogeyed 1, 2, 3 and 5. So a trundle in for birdie across 6 is most welcome. It may save his, er, bacon because he was beginning to flirt with that cut line. Bogey for Rickie Fowler at 15; he slips to +2, where he’s joined by Matt Fitzpatrick, who birdies 5. And it’s yet another birdie for the defending champ Brooks Koepka, this time at 8. Six birdies in ten holes! And he’s catapulted up the leader board to +1.
Three-putt disaster for Justin Rose, who leaves a long birdie putt short at 8, then absent-mindedly lets the tiddler squirt past the cup. He’s back to level par. A short one missed by Paul Casey, too, on 16; that leads to double bogey. He’s really let his round go, shedding five shots since the turn. He’s +6. Poulter makes his birdie on 7, though, and suddenly there’s a bit of separation at the top of the leader board!
-4: D Johnson (F)
-3: Poulter (16*)
E: Piercy (F), Rose (17*), Hoffman (14)
Spieth makes his birdie, his third in a row! He’s +8, and there’s a par five coming up. Mickelson makes one as well: after picking up a shot at 10, he’s +6, well inside the cut line. Spare a thought for spare-part Rory, who can only par and at +12 - despite birdies at 11 and 13 - won’t be here for the weekend whatever happens.
Birdie for Rickie Fowler on 14! He strokes in a 15-footer to move to +1, after a string of six pars. He’s +1. Ian Poulter fires his tee shot at 7 straight at the flag: he lands it six feet in front of the cup. That’s a great opportunity for birdie. And on that subject, Jordan Spieth arrows his approach at 15 to five feet. Where’s this Spieth been all week? Goodness knows, but at this rate, he’ll be making the cut. It’s a Homeric effort already.
Boston firefighter and amateur golfer Matt Parziale birdies 18 to book his place for the weekend! A 73 today to go with yesterday’s 74, and at +7 he’s sure to make the cut! Marvellous scenes! He’ll join Will Grimmer, who finished at +5 today, in the battle for low amateur over the weekend. Luis Gagne and Tyler Strafa could both still make it: they’re at +7 but with plenty of holes left to play.
Back-to-back birdies for Jordan Spieth, at 13 and 14, and suddenly surviving the cut doesn’t seem so much of a pipe dream! He’s +9, and the latest birdie putt, a 20-foot slider, was met with a huge eruption by the slightly soaked gallery. Charley Hoffman misses an eight-footer for birdie on 13; he stays at level par. And what an escape by Ian Poulter on 6: he’s hitting his third out of greenside sand, while crouching on the verge, his knees flexed. Soft hands whip the ball out to kick-in range. That’s some bunker shot. Par.
Rose’s tee shot at 7 topples down the big bank at the back. He bumps up well to six feet, but it’ll be a tester on this undulating green. He rattles it straight into the middle of the cup. That’s a fine up and down. Meanwhile Casey drops another one, this time at 15, and he slips to +4.
And now Poulter grabs second spot on his own! Two big crashes into the heart of the par-five 5th - some doing for one of the slightly shorter hitters out there - and he’s not far away with his 30-foot eagle effort. A tap-in for birdie will do. Back-to-back birds, and he’s just a couple behind Dustin now.
-4: D Johnson (F)
-2: Poulter (14*)
-1: Rose (15*)
Some proper belly laughs from the gallery as Paul Casey misses a par tiddler on 14. There’s no subtlety about it at all - a roaring baw haw haw haw hooo - so he does well to knock in the return. He’s thus able to depart the scene with dignity, albeit now at +3. Meanwhile on 9, Scott Piercy rolls in a 30-footer for birdie, and he’s signing for a 71. A fine round, if you factor out the three-putt from four feet. He ends the day at level par. Birdie for Charley Hoffman and Charles Howell at 12, too; they return to level and +1 respectively. All of which tightens things up at the top.
-4: D Johnson (F)
-1: Rose (14*), Poulter (13*)
E: Piercy (F), Hoffman (12)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Howell (12)
Another birdie for Brooks Koepka. He makes it on 5, the easiest hole on the course - which admittedly is not saying much. Anyway, that’s five birdies in seven holes, and it would be six had he given his putt on 4 a couple of joules’ worth more energy. The reigning champion is +2, and suddenly Curtis Strange will be wondering if his long-held record as last US Open winner to retain his title could go this week!
Ian Poulter makes his putt! No more than that glorious approach deserved. And Justin Rose taps in on 5, as expected. Meanwhile a bogey for Scott Piercy on 8, and suddenly there’s a new look at the top of a leader board that suddenly looks quite healthy for European golf. (I mean, it looks pretty great from a US perspective too, but you get the general point.)
-4: D Johnson (F)
-1: Rose (14*), Poulter (13*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Piercy (17*), Hoffman (11)
A fine par save by Matthew Fitzpatrick on the par-three 2nd. Having dumped his tee shot in the bunker to the left, his lie was such that he was forced to play out sideways, onto the green but away from the hole. No matter, as he rakes in a 35-footer to stay at +3! Meanwhile on 4, Poulter arrows his approach straight at the flag from 200 yards, leaving himself an uphill eight-footer for birdie. While up on 5, Rose finds the middle of the green in two, then lags his long eagle putt to a couple of feet. In a minute, at least one of these chaps will join Dustin Johnson in the red.
Mickelson couldn’t make it back-to-back birdies on 11 so there goes that charge. He stays at +7. Spieth can’t get up and down from the swale, so he’s +11 and suddenly in all sorts of trouble, unlikely to make the weekend. Also free tomorrow and Sunday: Rory McIlroy, though perhaps the birdie he’s made at 11 will give him a little bittersweet cheer. He’s +13. This group has been a complete shambles, all told. I wonder what odds you’d have got on the three being a cumulative 31 over par?! They’ve got 12 majors between them! But then that’s the beauty of golf, why we love it so, but also quite often considering depositing our clubs in the nearest skip.
Beef started steadily today, covering his first nine holes in a style Nick Faldo would approve of: nine pars. But since turning for home, the gravy boat is in danger of running aground. Bogey at 1, and then he leaves a monster putt monster short at 2. It’s a really poor mistake, and he drops to +5. All of a sudden, a player looking to build a platform for a run up the leader board is now looking over his shoulder at the cut. Meanwhile on 4, Koepka is one turn of the ball away from making it five birdies in six holes. He stays at +3.
A dreadful tee shot by Rose on 4, winged into the thick stuff down the right. He gets a reasonable lie, though, and though he takes a flyer through the green with his second, the 2013 champ gets up and down from the back to remain at level par. That’s some determined golf. Meanwhile Matthew Fitzpatrick has been pootling along quietly - eight pars and a bogey at 12 - but he’s now sent his second into 1 to kick-in distance; he’ll return to +3.
Shot of the day by Jimmy Walker! He’s already got one eagle to his name today, and here comes another. From a bunker down the right of 4, he clips the ball cleanly off the sand, sending it cutting onto the green ... and rolling straight into the cup! That shot took a huge left to right turn, and he’s back up to +4! Huge celebrations for a very popular player.
Mickelson whips his tee shot at the par-three 11th to 12 feet. He’s suddenly on a roll! McIlroy claps close too. But Spieth pulls his down the big bank to the left. He was in trouble down there yesterday, of course, running up a triple bogey. He’s coming off a double now, too, and at +10 really can’t afford a rerun if he’s to retain any hope whatsoever of staying here for the weekend.
Birdie for Mickelson on 10. He’s fighting the cut at the moment - that moves him to +7 - but a strong finish today would get his large support’s interest, even if a realistic title bid is almost certainly beyond him. Meanwhile yet another birdie for the defending champ Koepka, this time at 3. That’s four birdies in five holes, and he’s making a serious statement here. One of the few players taking advantage of the fairly benign conditions right now.
A double bogey for McIlroy on 9, a big slice from the tee costing him dear. He’s turned in 39, and at +14 he’s already toast. It’s been a thoroughly miserable performance from the get-go, when he set himself up for a birdie on the opening hole yesterday only to miss the chance and do very little of note afterwards. Rhythmically not dissimilar to his final round at the Masters, only even worse. He’ll need to have a good think before Carnoustie.
It’s nine pars in a row for Ian Poulter now. He’s very unfortunate on 1, having gone for the pin and left himself a 15-footer for birdie, only for the resulting putt to somehow stay teetering on the edge of the cup. Still, pars are at a premium in a proper US Open such as this, and despite not really firing on all cylinders today, he’s still right in the mix.
And it’s back-to-back birdies for Scott Piercy, at 4 and 5. He joins a suddenly burgeoning group in second place. But a bogey for Paul Casey on 1, the result of sending his tee shot into the rough, and flying his second over the back. He’s back to +2 again.
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Piercy (14*), Rose (11*), Poulter (9*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Hoffman (8)
Rose knocks in his birdie putt on 2, and joins Poulter in second place. That’s two birdies in three holes, a fine response to a rather stodgy start to his round. Could he become only the third multiple US Open champion from Great Britain, and the first since Alex Smith of Carnoustie in 1910? The other is Willie Anderson, seeing you ask. More on that character here:
The defending champion Brooks Koepka was flirting with the cut not so long ago. Birdies at 17, 18 and 1 have turned that situation round in an instant. He’s now +4, and the dream of becoming the first player to retain the title since Curtis Strange in 1989 is still alive!
Ian Poulter sends his second at 18 pin high to 25 feet. The birdie effort dies off to the right. He’s been steady if not exactly spectacular this afternoon. He turns in 36, one over for his round and four shots off Dustin Johnson’s lead. Up on 2, Justin Rose whips a long iron into the centre of the 230-yard par-three. That’s such a sweet shot, and he’s left with an eight-foot birdie putt across the green. A fine chance to join Poulter in second place ... and he needs some company, because Charley Hoffman suffers a three-putt bogey on 7 to drop back to +1. A real nightmare for Hoffman, who missed one from 18 inches or so. These greens are making fools of a lot of pros this week.
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Paul Casey swishes a fine approach at 9 to eight feet, but lets the birdie putt slide by on the left. A bit tentative, and he looks the picture of irritation as he walks off the green. But he’s reached the turn in 33; he’s +1. Another birdie chance for Justin Rose, meanwhile, this time at 1, but it slips past on the right. He stays at +1 too.
Rickie Fowler had dropped a shot at 6, but he’s picked it straight back up, putting from the fringe at 7. He’s +2. Behind him, Charley Hoffman wastes another chance to join Dustin Johnson under par, leaving a 15-footer a turn short at 6.
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Justin Rose finally gets a red number on the board today! He sends his second at 18 to 12 feet, then strokes in the birdie putt. That means he turns in a level-par 35, and he’s back to +1, looking a lot happier with life. Back on 17, Ian Poulter watches his 25-foot birdie putt turn left at the very last: he remains level. But more misery for Rory McIlroy, who will be going home tonight unless he finds something special in his bag of magic tricks. A poor tee shot at the par-three 7th leaves him with a 60-foot putt; he takes three to get down and he’s +12. The cut’s projected at +9; nothing this week suggests his game’s in a place where he can turn that round.
Poulter wedges to 20 feet from 110 yards on the par-five 16th. But his putt is always sliding off to the right. Par. On the one other par five at Shinnecock, the 5th, Hoffman leaves an eagle putt from the front of the green well short. It costs him, as the 12-footer he leaves himself for birdie lips out. Both stay at level par. Dustin Johnson remains the only man under par at the moment.
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Poulter (7*), Hoffman (5)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Casey (8), Howell (5)
+2: Henley (F), Piercy (12*), Rose (8*), Fowler (5)
+3: Beef (6*), Naegel (3), DeMorat (3*)
The 2016 PGA champion Jimmy Walker follows up an eagle at 16 by nearly holing in one at the par-three 17th. A couple of inches to the right, and that was hopping into the hole. Instead he’ll be tidying up for a birdie that’ll take him to +5. His playing partner Justin Rose watches his birdie effort shave the hole from 15 feet; he stays at +2. Branden Grace sends a delightful tee shot to six feet at 7, but there’s a ludicrous swing on the short putt, and he can’t be too annoyed for missing out on birdie. He remains at +5. And poor Beef watches in horror as a fine birdie effort on 15 slips by: he’s carded six pars in a row today, and stays at +3 after a very creditable opening-day 73.
Charley Hoffman sends his second at 4 to ten feet, and strokes in the birdie putt. He joins Ian Poulter in second place at level par for the tournament. Birdies for Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson at the par-five 5th; they bounce back to +8 as they look to salvage their weekend. Rory McIlroy can’t make one, though, and remains at +11. And a weak chip from the back of the par-five 16th costs Justin Rose a birdie; he stays at +2.
Mickey DeMorat is another player making his US Open debut this week. He’s also making his professional debut, having qualified as an amateur but since changed his status. His first round was quite the event: a wonderful 72, which would have been even better had he not been penalised on 14 for playing the wrong ball. And he’s started out in similarly entertaining style today, with bogey at 10 followed by a birdie at 11. The 23-year-old is +2.
Rickie Fowler’s solid start continues. A birdie putt from 20 feet drifts half a ball wide at 4; he remains at +2. Patrick Reed birdies 5, the Masters champ arresting a slide that saw him bogey 2 and 4. He’s +4. And birdie on the opening hole for Chris Naegel, the result of a glorious second which screeched to a halt three feet from the cup. Naegel made it through sectional qualifying; playing his first US Open at the age of 35, he appears to be grasping his chance. A 73 yesterday, and so he’s currently +2 in a tie for seventh place!
Poulter is made of the strong stuff, though. And he guides in a left-to-right slider to scramble an excellent par. He stays put at even for the championship.
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Poulter drives into the first cut down the left of 14. He does pretty well to power his second shot to within a short chip of the green. He doesn’t give his wedge in enough welly, though, and is very fortunate that his ball doesn’t topple back off the putting surface. It stays put, but he’s got a 15-footer to save his par. Dustin could be five clear very shortly.
Rickie Fowler would perhaps be the most popular winner this week, given how close he’s come in the majors so often without reward. Can he go one better than the Masters in April? He’s been quietly going about his business this week, with a very creditable 73 yesterday. And now he’s just rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt across 3 to move to +2. Meanwhile another major-championship bridesmaid, Paul Casey, makes it up to +1 after flipping one out of the bunker at 5 to a couple of feet, and tidying up for his birdie. A couple of players there deciding they’ve had enough with the leader board’s state of suspended animation. Could one of them mount a charge at Dustin?
The defending champion Brooks Koepka needs to arrest his decline if he’s to stay here for the weekend. He shot 75 yesterday, and has opened up today with bogeys at 12 and 13. He’s +7, cushioned from the cut at the moment, but can’t afford too many more errors. The 2016 Masters champ Danny Willett is heading the wrong way too: bogeys at 10 and 12 have him slipping back to +7 as well.
Justin Rose becomes the latest player to slide backwards. He plays all down the left side of 14, never in control. Rough, bunker, 15 feet past the hole. He fails to make the putt coming back, and slips to +2. The top of this leader board is thinning out dramatically. Never mind feet up and cigars, Dustin Johnson will have the brandy out at this rate. Tommy Fleetwood and Henrik Stgenson won’t be too disappointed, either, to be fair.
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Poulter (4*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Howell (2), Hoffman (2)
Trouble for Spieth down 3. He drives wildly down the right and can only send his second into sand. His bash out topples off the false front of the green, and though he gets up and down, that’s his first bogey of the day. He’s +9 and can’t afford many more mistakes if he’s to avoid this cut. Mickelson bogeys as well, partly the fault of a dreadful drive, partly the fault of a pulled short putt. That’s a second bogey today and he slips to +9. McIlroy pars and remains at +11. As things stand, Rory’s away home for the weekend. Jordan and Lefty are holding on by their fingernails.
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Thanks to Tom ... and commiserations to Scott Piercy, whose US Open bid is falling apart here. That three putt on 16 was from four feet, a couple of awful yips that turned birdie into his third bogey of the day. Absolutely nobody is making a move right now, save Paul Casey who has just birdied 4 to move to +2. Dustin Johnson will have his feet up and a cigar on, watching this unfold.
“Oh that is just so bad,” moans Poulter as he skews his second shot on 12 out to the right of the fairway but his position isn’t irretrievable. And his third shot is excellent, ensuring a morale-boosting par-save.
Patrick Reed, the Masters champion, drops a shot on 2 to slip to four over. Rose, meanwhile, finds the green on the 13th with a fine uphill drive into the wind. Spieth, meanwhile, having looked in decent nick on the 1st, finds the bunker with his tee shot on 2 but recovers for a par, There’s also a par for his partner Mickelson but another bogey for Rory, who imperils his weekend prospects further by three-putting for bogie.
Also three-putting from a good position is Piercy, who drops back another shot on the 15th and is now two over.
And with that, I’ll hand you back to a nourished Scott.
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Poulter (3*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Rose (4*), Howell, Hoffman
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McIlroy is agonisingly short of opening with a birdie, his downhill putt just running out of gas at the lip of the cup. Mickelson also overhits his second shot of the day, and he’s down the bottom of the hill on the other side of the 1st green. He pushes his third shot up the hill and past the pin but he’s given himself work to do for par, which he can’t quite manage. So he’s +1 for the day and +8 for the tournament. Spieth pars the hole thanks to a fine long putt from off the green. Poulter’s birdie putt on 11 falls too short too.
Poulter begins with a bogey. The all-English group of Hatton, Willett and Poulter start at the 10th. Hatton’s down the middle, Willett skews his tee shot slightly to the right off the fairway, but Poulter finds its left-hand edge, giving him decent sight of the pin. But his second is overhit, dobbing back down the hill after landing on the edge of the green. He at least finds the green from a tricky position with his third, but he’s given himself to much to do for a par, and drops a shot straight off. His playing partner Hatton does rather better, beginning with a birdie, but Willett drops a shot on 10 too.
On the par-three 11th, Rose again chips well to the green from the tee but can’t drain his birdie putt and it’s another par.
Rory McIlroy meanwhile has just begun his round at the 1st, giving himself a decent position in the middle of the fairway with his tee-shot. Alongside him, Spieth pulls his shot too far to the left and into the gallery, while Mickelson’s firm drive down the middle earns enthusiastic whoops from the crowd.
-4: D Johnson (F)
E: Poulter (1*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Piercy (5*), Rose (2*), Howell, Hoffman
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An excellent iron shot from Rose finds the green but he can’t quite nail his birdie putt. A par keeps him at +1.
Dustin meanwhile declares himself very pleased with his round. “It was cool and wet early on and the ball wasn’t really going anywhere,” he admits. “But I played a really solid round, I got in trouble in some spots, but my short game was good and got out of trouble when I could. I’ve felt focused these first two rounds and just need to keep it up for the next two days. I enjoy it [in these conditions], it keeps me focused, you’ve got to make good aggressive swings and really commit to your shots.”
Evening/afternoon everyone. Tom here to guide you through Scott’s scran break. So Johnson has laid down a clear marker for Ian Poulter to aim at when he tees off in 10 minutes or so, in improving, slightly less windy conditions, though it’s by no means a picnic. A couple of shots back, Justin Rose has just teed off confidently down the middle from the 10th.
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Par for Henrik Stenson at the last. For the second day running, he’s rescued a poor round coming home. He signs for a level-par 70, and will go into Saturday at +1. And with that, I’m going to hand over to Tom Davies. See you again in a wee while.
-4: D Johnson (F)
-1: Poulter
E: Piercy (3*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (F), Pavon (3*), Rose, Howell, Hoffman
Thomas lags up and taps in for par. He’s signing for a street-fighting 70; he goes into the weekend at +4. Not ideal, but not out of it either. Dustin rolls his to a couple of feet, and he’ll be signing for a 67 that looks mighty pretty next to yesterday’s 69. He’s currently three ahead of last night’s co-leader Ian Poulter at -4. Finally it’s Tiger, who confidently drills a right-to-left slider in for back-to-back birdies. That’s a 72. He’s +10. It probably won’t be enough to survive the cut, with the conditions improving this afternoon, and Fleetwood having demonstrated that a low score is out there. But you never know.
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Tiger gives himself half a chance, finding the centre of the 9th green with his second. DJ and JT are both on in regulation as well; all three will have a look at birdie from 30 feet or so.
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Birdie for Tiger at 8. Too little, too late? He’s +11 now, and will almost certainly need a birdie up the last ... and even then, that might not be enough to survive the cut. He’s sent his tee shot at 9 straight down the middle. He’ll be dreaming of holing out from the fairway; he needs that miracle if he’s to fall inside the current projected cut, which sends everyone at +10 and above home. But nothing’s certain with the afternoon rounds still stretching out ahead of us.
Henrik Stenson moves himself into serious contention with an eagle on the par-five 16th. Two big hits and a straight putt up the green from 12 feet. No biggie. He’s +1 all of a sudden, and for a second day in a row, has set about salvaging his round after a godawful start. Magnificent. That astonishing par save on 14 looks really important now. And how about this on 9? Tommy Fleetwood rattles in a 25-footer for a third birdie in five holes! He’s back in 32, and signs for a 66 that, on this toughest of courses, is nothing much short of sensational! He came close last year at Erin Hills; could the European number one go three places better this year? Meanwhile Scott Piercy bogeys his opening hole, the 10th, and suddenly the leader board has a fresh new look!
-4: D Johnson (16*)
-1: Poulter
E: Piercy (1*)
+1: Fleetwood (F), Stenson (16), Pavon (1*), Rose, Howell, Hoffman
What a putt by Dustin Johnson! His tee shot at 7 had nearly toppled down the swale to the right of the green, but his ball held the putting surface. Just. He’s left with a 46-footer. He strokes it hole-ward. It’s pretty straight, with a very small right to left break. For a while it doesn’t look as though he’s given it enough juice. Then it looks good. Then it slows again. And it’s surely going to run out of steam before it drops. But the ball heaves, one last turn, and it’s in! What a crowd-pleasing tease that putt was! DJ smiles broadly, and no wonder! He’s three in the lead now. JT tidies up for his birdie, and rises to +4, but that seems almost immaterial after that astonishing rake!
-4: D Johnson (16*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
Updated
Thomas goes straight at the flag on 7. He manages to outdo Fleetwood by launching his 9-iron to six feet. That’s a wonderful shot. Up on 8, Fleetwood makes a fuss-free par. He’s one more par away from a superb 67. Cabrera Bello signs for a 71 that promised so much more: he’d been out in 32. But he’s nicely placed for the weekend at +4.
The sun’s streaming across Shinnecock Hills now. On 6, Dustin raps a fairly straight uphill birdie putt 32 feet towards the hole. Only problem is, he was 32 feet and five inches away. So close to a three-shot lead. Par will suffice; compare and contrast to his playing partner Tiger, who drops yet another shot, the result of finding the long grass with his drive and being forced to take his medicine and chip out. The three-time champion is now +12 and won’t be making the weekend unless he does something highly interesting over the closing three holes. Par for Thomas, incidentally: he stays at +5.
-3: D Johnson (15*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
+1: Pavon, Rose, Howell, Hoffman
+2: Henley (F), Fleetwood (16*), Steele, Rodgers, DeMorat
Updated
Tommy Fleetwood isn’t making the same mistake twice. He arrows his tee shot at the supposedly impossible par-three 7th to ten feet, then curls in the birdie putt to move to +2. He’s right in this! You’ll not see anyone play the hole better this week. Meanwhile trouble for Henley down the 9th. He sends his drive into the semi-rough down the left, and can only advance his ball to within 90 yards of the green. He loops his third into the heart of the green, but nowhere near the flag. He can’t make the long saver, and that’s a closing-hole bogey. He signs for a disappointing 73, having gone out in 34 but come back in 39. Still, he’s the clubhouse leader for now at +2.
Updated
Tommy Fleetwood caresses a lovely approach at 6 to 12 feet. But he doesn’t hit the birdie putt, the ball dying off to the left. He remains at +3. Dustin Johnson pars 5 to stay in pole position at -3. And scrub those worries about Henrik Stenson: from up the bank to the right of 14, he punches out to four feet, even getting a bit of backspin so his ball screeches to a halt near the flag. That is outrageous from where he was. He’ll surely save his par now.
Russell Henley three-putts on the par-three 7th. Bogey, and then he lets a very makeable 14-footer slip past the hole for birdie on 8. He remains at +1. Jason Dufner misses a tiddler on 3 to drop to +5; his putting makes Rory McIlroy look like Bobby Locke. And so much for Henrik Stenson’s comeback: he’s sent his second shot at 14 up a fescue-smothered bank, the ball coming off the toe of his iron and flying almost straight right. A bogey will be a result from there.
Updated
Birdie for Dustin on 4, the reward for sending his second shot to eight feet. He’s two clear of Piercy and Poulter again. Tommy Fleetwood grabs back the shot he dropped at 4 with a 15-foot birdie putt on 5: he’s +3. And is Henrik Stenson about to launch another comeback? He’s just curled in a 20-footer for birdie on 13, to get back to +3.
-3: D Johnson (13*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
Dufner continues to move backwards at speed. A bogey at 1, his third in a row, and the 2013 PGA champion is in danger of playing himself out of contention. The weather has been drizzly all morning, but is beginning to brighten up a little, if you ignore the wind and the small cloud above the Somnambulist’s head.
JT does extremely well to lag up from 60 feet, but he’s still tapping in for bogey. Suddenly he’s back down at +5, seven off the lead. No-nonsense pars for DJ and Tiger. Alex Noren birdies 4 to move back to +3 but his playing partner Tommy Fleetwood bogeys the hole to slip to +4. Of all the morning starters, there are only five players under par for their rounds right now: DJ, Fleetwood, Tony Finau, Gary Woodland and Haotong Li. Only the first three are in any sort of contention (Finau is, like Fleetwood, +4).
A basic error by Thomas down 3. Having sent his tee shot into the deep stuff to the right, he tries to snatch too many yards with his second, punching out with a 9-iron and ending up in the first cut on the other side. A wedge might have been smarter. As it is, he’s lost control coming in with his third, and he’s left with a 60-footer to save his par.
Russell Henley arrests his slide with birdie at the par-five 5th. He’s back to level par for the tournament.
-2: D Johnson (11*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
E: Henley (14*)
Thomas, Johnson and Woods all fail to reach the 232-yard par-three 2nd with their tee shots. Justin leaves himself an awkward stance by the side of a bunker to the left, Tiger is in sand on the right, and Dustin leaves himself short. Nothing comes easy round Shinnecock. And only Dustin, who missed in the right place, can make the up and down. Thomas slips to +4 while Tiger drops to +11. Elsewhere, Jason Dufner’s slide down the leader board continues apace: bogey at 18, and he completes the back nine in 38. He’s +3 for both round and tournament.
So having just said Dustin Johnson doesn’t look like making any mistakes, he drops his first stroke of the day. Pulitzer, please! He dumps his second at 1 into the sand, and can’t get up and down. He moves back to -2. Thomas, who pars quietly, is only five off the lead now. Meanwhile Rafa Cabrera Bello’s fine round has fallen apart: he’s followed up that bogey at 2 with a double at 3, the result of finding a bunker off the tee and not getting out with any great style. He’s back to where he started the day, at +3. Does the Spaniard’s travails remind you of anyone? Sergio’s seven over for his round through 12 today, incidentally: he’s +12 and almost certainly going home soon.
Tiger took triple bogey on the 1st hole yesterday, and he’s not enjoying it now either. From the centre of the fairway, he’s sent his approach well right, into extremely thick nonsense. He’s got to get over a bunker, and there’s not a lot of green to play with. And sure enough, from a dreadfully tangled lie, he sends his ball flying through the green and down the bank on the other side. It only just avoids the tall grass. He bumps it back up onto the dancefloor, but a good 15 feet past the hole. That’s a double-bogey six. This hole has cost him five strokes in two days. He’s +10. Weekend participation is beginning to look like a pipe dream: the cut is the top 60 plus ties, which right now stands at +7. A long time to go, though, and it’s likely to move out.
Updated
So there are now only three players under par for the tournament. Only one of them is out on the course right now, and that’s the leader Dustin Johnson. The big man doesn’t look in the mood to make a mistake right now, but well, y’know. I don’t think anybody in golf will be counting chickens yet. Still, of the chasing group, only Rafa Cabrera Bello has made a determined move in the right direction this morning, and even he’s just taken one step backwards. Russell Henley has just posted that triple, while Jason Dufner’s gone and dropped another at 17 to slip to +2. Links expert Tommy Fleetwood is coming up on the rail, mind: a birdie at 2 brings him up to +3.
There’s a first blemish on Rafa Cabrera Bello’s card: he drops a stroke at 2 to slip back to +1. And he’s joined on that mark by Russell Henley, who crashes out of the lead after a triple-bogey disaster on 3, the result of sending his drive into deep trouble down the left and failing to extricate himself from the fescue.
-3: D Johnson (9*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
+1: Henley (12*), Cabrera Bello (11*), Dufner (7*), Pavon, Rose, Howell, Hoffman
Thomas wedges close to secure a fine par. He was in trouble after that drive, faced with a steep bunker face, and did well to get so close to the green with his second. He’s scrambled well this morning. He turns in 34; he’s +3. Tiger’s long bunker shot whistles a good 40 feet past the hole. He then leaves his long par putt six feet short; he makes it, avoiding the double, but he’s still dropping back to +8. DJ splashes out to five feet, and completes another fine up and down. He reaches the turn in 33. And he’s taking control of this US Open, because ...
A huge break for Tiger on 18. His drive is heading off into the tall fescue on the right. But there’s a glaikit spotter standing in the semi-rough, staring into the distance the wrong way, and he’s clattered on the legs by the bounding ball. It stops dead in the shorter stuff. But Tiger doesn’t take advantage, sending his second into sand well short of the green. Thomas is just off the front in two, having found a deep bunker with his tee shot. And finally the leader DJ, from a perfect position in the centre of the fairway, flies a wedge straight over the green and into the sand at the back. That’s an appalling miss. All three of this group are in a spot of bother.
Updated
Passing JT the other way: Henrik Stenson. I was wondering whether the 2016 Open champion might be a good shout for this tournament, on account of his leading the driving accuracy rankings. Yesterday’s 71 suggested maybe, maybe. But he’s not making much of a case for himself today: bogeys already at 2 and 6, and now another at 7. He slips to +4. Having said all that, he started abysmally yesterday, too, only to revive his bid during the later stages of his round. Sweden will have its fingers crossed.
Dustin isn’t plugged. That’s a break. The rain, firming up the bunkers, will have helped. And from the soft, wet sand, he tosses his ball next to the flag, very nearly holing out for birdie. He’ll escape with par. Tiger takes two putts from the front of the green for his par. And Thomas tidies up for a brilliant birdie: he’s +3, and after hanging on in there during the early stages of this round, the recently deposed world number one is slowly moving into contention. He’s only six off DJ’s lead, in a tie for 14th. And he notoriously picks up momentum through tournaments. The field will be taking notice.
“Go hard! Go hard!” Dustin’s tee shot at the par-three 17th is sent miles into the air ... and slam-dunks into the bunker guarding front left. He’s shortsided, and possibly plugged. Justin Thomas doesn’t let the disappointment of the previous hole get to him, though, sending his effort to five feet, one of the shots of the day.
But DJ knocks in his birdie putt, and he’s once more the sole leader of this tournament. Tiger follows him in to rise to +7. Meanwhile Rafa Cabrera Bello retains his status as the hottest player out on the course right now, creaming an iron from 190 yards to five feet on 18. A third birdie of the day, and he reaches the turn in 32.
-3: D Johnson (7*)
-2: Henley (11*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
E: Cabrera Bello (9*)
Tiger and Dustin lay up at 16, then knock their third shots to six feet. Both will have great chance of birdie. but Thomas goes for it, creaming a fairway wood in the hope of reaching in two. His ball looks like heading into a bunker front left, but snags in thick fescue guarding it, instead. That’s an unlucky break, and he’s fuming, stomping around in the hot manner. But good pros know how to compartmentalise their rage, and he simmers down, slashing a wonderfully judged wedge through the thick rough and up onto the green. He’s left with an uphill ten footer for birdie ... and he underhits it by one joule of energy. So close to an amazing up and down. But the rain’s softened the green, and you need to give them just a little extra oomph. Thomas stays at +4.
The rain continues to fall. It’s getting heavier. Most refreshing. Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas have all crashed their drives down 16, but play’s slowed up here. A lot of waiting around. Elsewhere, Henrik Stenson has dropped another stroke, this time at 6: he’s +3. Brandt Snedeker bogeys 11 to slip to +3. And back-to-back bogeys for Byeong Hun An at 2 and 3 send him down to +3 as well.
Updated
The players won’t mind this shower, though. Anything that makes the greens a little more responsive. They’re happily prancing around with their umbrellas up. Two putts for Dustin, his birdie effort shaving the right edge, and he remains in a share of the lead at -2. His co-leader, Russell Henley, has just completed the back nine in 34 strokes. Pars for Tiger and JT at 15 too. The long par-five coming up.
A little bit of drizzle falling at Shinnecock Hills. A lovely Open Championship atmosphere. Just a month to go until Carnoustie, folks. Can you wait? Us neither. Anyway, this rain isn’t likely to hang around. On 15, DJ clips a wedge from 140 yards to 15 feet or so. He’ll have a good look at birdie from there. Meanwhile Rafa Cabrera Bello joins the group at +1 with his second birdie of the day, at 16. Nobody’s playing better today than the talented 34-year-old Spaniard whose record in the majors - one top-five finish at last years’s Open apart - is surprisingly average.
“Dammit, Tiger! Fuck!” At which point Woods tries to bury the hosel of his wedge into the turf. Bam! Bat! He’s really not happy with that third shot, viewing families of America. Thing is, the ball bites pin high, 20 feet from the cup. High standards, this dude, but then he has won 14 majors. Two putts, and that’s a bogey, all the fault of the wild drive. Johnson and Thomas get up and down for their pars. Meanwhile Dufner continues to go the wrong way: another problem from over the back of the green, this time at 13, leading to back-to-back bogeys. Just a little bit of separation at the top of the leader board now.
-2: Henley (8*), D Johnson (5*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
+1: Dufner (4*), Pavon, Rose, Howell, Hoffman
Trouble for everyone down the long par-four 14th. Tiger’s in the deep stuff down the right, and can only hack back out onto the fairway. Dustin’s in the first cut on the other side, and was expecting his ball to come out hot, but he didn’t get a flyer and his second stops well short of the green. Thomas was in the middle of the fairway, but dumped his approach into the bunker front right. He’s still in the best nick of the three, though.
Jason Dufner drops back to level par for the championship. His tee shot at 12 found the rough to the right, his second flew through the green, and you know how that usually pans out on this course by now. Young Sam Burns has completed the back nine in 36 strokes, improving on his slow start with birdie at 17: he’s back to +2. And Tommy Fleetwood is in credit today: birdie at 10, bogey at 11, and another birdie at 13 sees him nudge up the leader board to +4. Brought up on the links of Royal Birkdale, you’d think this set-up would favour a player with the European number one’s experience; he’s nicely placed, six off the lead.
Big Dustin is one cool customer. Having hit a terrible wedge in, leaving himself quite the poser, he clips a crisp wedge over the sand to three feet. That’s such a lovely shot in the circumstances. He simply refused to let the initial mistake fluster him. He salvages his par. Meanwhile a two-putt par for Tiger; that’s two putts shaved off yesterday’s total on this hole. And finally a brilliant birdie for Thomas, who didn’t play a particularly good bunker shot, but curled in a confident right-to-left breaker from ten feet. He moves back to +4.
A big mistake by DJ, whose wedge into 13 only just reaches the green, and topples back off, rolling behind the bunker Thomas is in. That’s an awful miss, and the co-leader’s going to have some work getting up and down for his par. Tiger leaves himself a 15-foot uphill putt for birdie; that one wild drive aside, he’s looked very solid today. To be fair, he looked very solid yesterday, if you factor out three rushes of blood that led to two double bogeys and a triple. But that’s golf for you.
Some downtime on the 13th tee as the players wait for the green to be cleared. It’s a short par four, and Justin Thomas is going for it. He sends his drive into the bunker guarding the front right of the green; that’s the place to miss. Tiger and Dustin decide to take irons instead. Beforehand, up on the dancefloor, Pat Perez stroked in a 30-footer for a birdie that takes him to +2.
Tiger wedges delicately to a couple of feet. That’s a wonderful par save. Then Thomas bumps his third up to three feet; he’ll escape with a par after a wild tee shot, too. Finally Dustin, who has a fairly straight 30-foot birdie putt. He tugs it a bit, but it’s perfectly judged for speed, so that’s three pars out of three on 12 for this group. Tiger is +7, Thomas +5, Johnson -2.
Dustin finds his third green in regulation out of three. The benefit of being on the fairway. By comparison, Thomas flies his second through the back, facing an up and down from thick greenside rough, while Tiger can only hack his way out of the thick fescue and into the first cut on the other side of the fairway. He’s still got 70 yards to the green. Birdie meanwhile for Jason Dufner at 10; he immediately joins Scott Piercy and Ian Poulter, both out later this afternoon, at -1.
Updated
Oh Sergio. The 2017 Masters champion (it’s nice to type that) wasn’t in the worst position after his opening round of 75, but he’s playing himself out of contention this morning. A bogey at 11 followed a double at 12, his putter letting him down badly. He crashes to +8. Meanwhile a bogey for Henrik Stenson at 2, and the handily placed Swede slips to +2.
Updated
All change at the top! Russell Henley can’t get up and down from the side of 14, and drops back to -2. Meanwhile joining him in the lead is Big Dustin, who clipped his tee shot at 11 to five feet and then knocked in the birdie putt. He looks calm and controlled this week, coming off the back of victory at last week’s St Jude Classic, a win that returned him to world number one. He’s the only man in his group to crash his drive down the middle of 12, as well: Thomas wangs his right, while Tiger is in fescue on the other side.
-2: Henley (5*), D Johnson (2*)
-1: Piercy, Poulter
Updated
Oh Justin. Disoriented after playing 10 so badly, Thomas pulls his tee shot at the par-three 11th down the swale to the left of the green. Jordan Spieth took a couple of attempts to chip up the bank from there yesterday, so Thomas elects to play a Scottish-style bump along the ground. The ball still slips 20 feet past the hole ... but oh Justin! He rattles in the putt coming back, and that’s a sensational up and down from a very difficult position. He stays at +5. I have no idea why more players aren’t employing links tactics when they get in trouble round here, the old-school course being what it is, but players insist on getting the lob wedges out regardless, like it’s a regular week on Tour or something. Anyway, Thomas appears to have learned his lesson. That was brilliant course management. He was staring double bogey in the face there.
A birdie earlier for Rafa Cabrera Bello, at 10; he moves to +2. An eventful start for Alex Noren, who doubled 10 but birdied the par-three 11th; he’s +3. Brian Gay made 73 yesterday, briefly sharing the lead, but bogeys at 10, 12 and 15 see the veteran journeyman drop to +6. The 21-year-old Sam Burns, a hot prospect from Louisiana, shot a fine 71 yesterday but he’s bogeyed 12 and 15 today; he’s +3. And the equally promising Xander Schauffele is heading the wrong way, too: he’s dropped shots at 2 and 3, and slips to +4.
Thomas is made to pay for that mistake off the tee. His chip up from the back is the best part of 40 feet short, and his par putt isn’t all that either. He’s got a seven-footer for bogey. He does very well to roll it in, and limit the damage. He’s +5. Par for Dustin, who remains at -1. Tiger nearly misses his short birdie putt, the ball skirting all the way round the lip before dropping, but it’s in, and he’s +7. He looks happy and relaxed today; here’s to his being one of many to embark on a charge up the leader board.
That’s a chance for the overnight co-leader Dustin Johnson to close the gap at the top. Because Russell Henley was out very early, and he’s gone off like a train, arrowing approaches to the pin and 10 and 12 to tear off on his own. Here’s how that’s changed the toppermost of the leader board.
-3: Henley (4*)
-1: D Johnson, Piercy, Poulter
E: Dufner.
Good morning, Southampton! Will today play even tougher than yesterday? With the wind switching around all day, it’s possible. Then again, the hole placements are a little bit more accessible. So it’s swings and roundabouts. Either way, accuracy from the tee is still essential ... as immediately proved by Justin Thomas. The reigning PGA champion let his opening tee shot, an iron from 10, drift off to the left. From the semi-rough, he’s taken a flyer straight through the green and down the back. That’ll be a test coming back up. By comparison, his playing partners Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods found the fairway, and have set up birdie chances with their approaches. Tiger’s is particularly special, to three or four feet.
Preamble
Welcome to the second round of the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, where the world’s greatest players are being put through quite the test. The three-time champion Tiger Woods shot 78 yesterday, as did 2015 winner Jordan Spieth; the 2011 champ Rory McIlroy couldn’t break 80; the 2014 champ Martin Kaymer, who carded 65 on his opening round at Pinehurst, signed for an 83.
But, y’know, winning a US Open shouldn’t be easy. And you shouldn’t necessarily be under par. Only four players posted a red number yesterday; the USGA will argue that this is exactly how it should be. That 7th hole still looks like a poser too far, mind. But hey ho. Here’s the very top of the leader board, and remember, for every Tiger, Jordan and Rory, there’s a Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Louis Oosthuizen placed very handily.
-1: Henley, D Johnson, Piercy, Poulter
E: Dufner
+1: Burns, Stenson, An, Pavon, Rose, Howell, Hoffman
+2: Schauffele, Noren, Snedeker, Steele, Rodgers, DeMorat
The tee times, starting at hole 1 ...
6.45am EDT (11.45am BST): Ryan Fox (Nzl), Matthew Jones (Aus), Shota Akiyoshi (Jpn)
6.56am (11.56am): Paul Waring (Eng), (a) Theo Humphrey, Ted Potter, Jr
7.07am (12.07pm): Roberto Castro, Richy Werenski, Ollie Schniederjans
7.18am (12.18pm): (a) Noah Goodwin, Richie Ramsay (Sco), Kenny Perry
7.29am (12.29pm): Keegan Bradley, Xander Schauffele, Emiliano Grillo (Arg)
7.40am (12.40pm): Lucas Glover, Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell (NIrl)
7.51am (12.51pm): Ernie Els (Rsa), Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk
8.02am (1.02pm): Henrik Stenson (Swe), Adam Scott (Aus), Martin Kaymer (Ger)
8.13am (1.13pm): Kevin Kisner, Adam Hadwin (Can), Ross Fisher (Eng)
8.24am (1.24pm): Shane Lowry (Irl), Chez Reavie, Byeong-Hun An (Kor)
8.35am (1.35pm): Lucas Herbert (Aus), Stewart Hagestad (a), Brian Stuard
8.46am (1.46pm): Sebastian Vazquez (Mex), (a) Franklin Huang, Michael Miller
8.57am (1.57pm): Christopher Babcock, (a) Timothy Wiseman, David Gazzolo
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12.30pm (5.30pm): Scott Stallings, Sebastian Munoz (Col), Matthew Southgate (Eng)
12.41pm (5.41pm): Matt Parziale (a), Trey Mullinax, Jason Scrivener (Aus)
12.52pm (5.52pm): David Bransdon (Aus), Eric Axley, Tyler Duncan
1.03pm (6.03pm): (a) Garrett Rank (Can), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Aaron Baddeley (Aus)
1.14pm (6.14pm): Brian Harman, Alexander Levy (Fra), Patrick Cantlay
1.25pm (6.25pm): Paul Casey (Eng), Satoshi Kodaira (Jpn), Branden Grace (Rsa)
1.36pm (6.36pm):Charl Schwartzel (Rsa), Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed
1.47pm (6.47pm): Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy (NIrl), Phil Mickelson
1.58pm (6.58pm):Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Marc Leishman (Aus), Rickie Fowler
2.09pm (7.09pm):Bill Haas, Charles Howell III, Charley Hoffman
2.20pm (7.20pm): Sungjae Im (Kor), Russell Knox (Sco), Matt Wallace (Eng)
2.31pm (7.31pm): (a) Shintaro Ban, Sung-joon Park (Kor), Tim Wilkinson (Nzl)
2.42pm (7.42pm): Dylan Meyer, Sulman Raza, Chris Naegel
... and starting at hole 10...
6.45am (11.45am): Sam Burns, Dean Burmester (Rsa), Brian Gay
6.56am (11.56am): (a) Chun An Yu (Tpe), Wen-chong Liang (Chn), Ryan Evans (Eng)
7.07am (12.07pm): Russell Henley, Peter Uihlein, Aaron Wise
7.18am (12.18pm): Tony Finau, Luke List, Gary Woodland
7.29am (12.29pm): Jon Rahm (Spa), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spa)
7.40am (12.40pm): Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Alex Noren (Swe)
7.51am (12.51pm):Kyle Stanley, Cameron Smith (Aus), Pat Perez
8.02am (1.02pm): Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods
8.13am (1.13pm): Haotong Li (Chn), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Tha)
8.24am (1.24pm): (a) Braden Thornberry, Jason Dufner, Brandt Snedeker
8.35am (1.35pm): (a) Ryan Lumsden (Sco), James Morrison (Eng), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn)
8.46am (1.46pm): Cameron Wilson, (a) Will Grimmer, (a) Philip Barbaree
8.57am (1.57pm): (a) Rhett Rasmussen, Michael Hebert, Michael Block
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12.30pm (5.30pm): Harold Varner III, Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Scott Piercy
12.41pm (5.41pm): Scott Gregory (Eng), Michael Putnam, Will Zalatoris
12.52pm (5.52pm): Brendan Steele, Chesson Hadley, Harry Ellis (a) (Eng)
1.03pm (6.03pm): Jhonattan Vegas (Ven), Dylan Frittelli (Rsa), Doug Ghim (a)
1.14pm (6.14pm): Jimmy Walker, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa), Justin Rose (Eng)
1.25pm (6.25pm): Bubba Watson, Jason Day (Aus), Brooks Koepka
1.36pm (6.36pm): Danny Willett (Eng), Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Ian Poulter (Eng)
1.47pm (6.47pm): Andrew Johnston (Eng), Kevin Chappell, Daniel Berger
1.58pm (6.58pm):Bryson DeChambeau, Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Matt Kuchar
2.09pm (7.09pm):Shubhankar Sharma (Ind), Thorbjorn Olesen (Den), Patrick Rodgers
2.20pm (7.20pm): Lanto Griffin, Tom Lewis (Eng), (a) Jacob Bergeron
2.31pm (7.31pm): (a) Kristoffer Reitan (Nor), (a) Luis Gagne (Crc), Cole Miller
2.42pm (7.42pm): Mickey DeMorat, (a) Tyler Strafaci, Calum Hill (Sco)
