Takeaways from day two of the U.S. Open
The second round of the 2024 U.S. Open from Pinehurst No. 2 is in the books. Here are four takeaways from Friday's action.
Ludvig Aberg holds lead in first U.S. Open
Participating in only his third major overall, Aberg shot a 69 (-1) on Friday to finish the day atop the leaderboard at five under par. Meanwhile, the 24-year-old has thrived competing in a group that includes 2016 U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson.
After recording six birdies in the opening round, Aberg had only three in Round 3 but impressed nonetheless. The former Texas Tech standout will enter Saturday as the solo leader, but Thomas Detry, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay are all breathing down his neck, trailing by only a stroke at -4.
Golf's No. 1-ranked player had a rough one
After shooting a 71 in Round 1, Scottie Scheffler's game fell off the rails on Friday, ending his U.S. Open run before it started. The 2024 Masters champion went birdie-less in the second round, shooting a 74 (+4) to finish the day five over par, tied for 57th.
Frustration was evident for Scheffler. After slamming a driver early in the day, he flipped his putter in disgust following an excruciating miss on No. 15.
Scheffler hasn't missed a cut since 2022 but narrowly avoided breaking the streak, finishing day two five over par, just ahead of the chopping block.
Sahith Theegala hit the shot of the day, maybe the tournament
Theegala is no stranger to big shots, having notched several during the PGA Championship in May, including a 55-foot birdie putt on the tournament's final day. However, he capped off an impressive second-round performance at the U.S. Open, nailing a magical birdie at No. 15, chipping uphill off the green.
The 26-year-old shot a 68 (-5), finishing a five over par, just ahead of the cut. After building some momentum, who knows what the future might hold for the world's No. 11-ranked golfer heading into day three?
Meanwhile, Francesco Molinari also hit a big shot in Round 2, but he arguably had more on the line. Needing an ace to make the cut, the 41-year-old delivered an ace on his final hole of the day.
Tiger Woods misses the cut
Woods missed the cut despite shooting a solid 73 on Friday, finishing seven over par, tied for 94th overall. However, even when failing, the all-time great somehow finds a way to impress.
Woods still holds the likely unbreakable record for most consecutive cuts made on the PGA Tour (142), having notched 36 Tour wins and eight major championships over that span.
After his outing concluded, Woods told reporters that this "may or may not be" his final U.S. Open. However, as Chris Stiles of The Robesonian pointed out, the 48-year-old played this year under a special exemption, a luxury likely afforded to the all-time great for as long as he likes.
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