2026 U.S. Open - Friday

A few takeaways from walking the course this afternoon into the evening:

1) The middle of Rory's round was a disaster. Missed a makeable putt on 9 for birdie, then bogeyed 10, 11, and 12, including an awful wedge on 10. The double on 15 wasn't great either. Three back of second, he still has a chance, but he threw away a couple of careless shots in the middle of the round that were extremely costly. That isn't major championship caliber golf.

2) I walked with Scottie for nine holes. He's in an odd zone right now. He's a little off, but not by much, and still hits shots that nobody else can hit consistently. His approach to 17 feet from 262 yards on No. 2 was absurd, yet he makes it look routine. The driver is a little bit off and curving more than it does when he's playing his best. And some of his iron shots just aren't quite as precise as peak Scottie. Yet, he's currently T10 with a chance to win going into the weekend. Does it feel like he will make a signature Scottie charge up the leaderboard to take this tournament by the throat? No, not as much as it would have felt a year ago. But he is the best player in the world and has a good chance to get in the mix tomorrow. Also, I've thought he's done a nice job of keeping a good attitude and shaking off bad shots.

3) Tomorrow's forecast is the most important storyline to monitor over the next 12 hours. Initially, the USGA expected a wind out of the north on Saturday, which is the exact opposite of the prevailing wind, and would make this golf course play ridiculously difficult. It would also hurt Wyndham's chances of winning. A player who is up by four wants predictable, low-variance conditions. But the forecast has shifted a little, and now the wind appears to be coming more out of the west. It would be disappointing if the initial forecast doesn't materialize, as a wind out of the north would inject some serious juice into a tournament that feels like it needs some. Let's hope we see the devilish wind from the north tomorrow.

It's Friday night and Wyndham Clark leads the U.S. Open by four. Time to decant some grape.

Data Golf's model now favors a +4 cutline vs. +3 by about 80/20. The toughening of the course over the past couple of hours appears to have saved the group at +4, which includes Hideki, Bobby Mac, Gotterup, and Cauley.

Around 5 p.m. local time, the wind palpably freshened at Shinnecock. And in the past hour or so, the #eyetest has detected some fire in the greens — firmer first bounces, less forgiveness for short-sided recoveries. This has made for more interesting golf, imo (look at how 17 played for Rory's group — very exacting), but a raw deal for the later starting times in the afternoon wave.

That's golf, though! A feature, not a bug.

I'm excited to see how the course evolves tomorrow.

It’s pretty obvious that the early-late tee times got the absolute bad end of the draw this week. The last two hours of play today, the course has gotten significantly harder. The wind has changed direction, it’s started to blow harder, the lack of humidity has dried out the golf course, and Shinnecock is finally showing its teeth.

This morning, for example, 16 was downwind and Dustin Johnson reached it in two easily. This afternoon, Rory hit driver, then 3-wood, and he was still 50 yards short.

Was it fair? Eh, it was golf.

Sometimes you get the wrong end of the split. It will be interesting to see how Wyndham Clark fairs in firmer conditions if everyone faces them. It’s also a tough beat for Jon Rahm, who ejected from another major when he got the easy part of the draw.

Shinnecock remains one of the hardest courses in the U.S. to get the set up to play the same the entire day.

Many people (me) are saying Kansas is the new hotbed of pro golf. Gary Woodland T13 and Sam Stevens T2 currently.

Data Golf has +5s at zero percent so I'm updating Bryson's wiki grid.

Been all or nothing the last three years.

Currently sitting in the clubhouse as our inaugural FE Solstice rolls on. One thing seems remarkably consistent from the participants who roll through and see the U.S. Open leaderboard on the TV: Wyndham Clark is the worst case scenario.

I keep telling them it's a great redemption story. They don't seem to like that

Tough scene.

Lot of the focus on Rory in this late marquee group but this is an incredibly professional round by Ludvig right now.

This isn’t a chip I’d want to ever try.

Tommy stayed crouched down for about twenty seconds after he put it over on 10. He knew the mistake and was probably dreading heading up the hill to see what he had to deal with. He proceeded to follow Ludvig into the front right bunker on 11. Rory saw both of those and went long. Shinny may not be at its peak right now but it’s still pretty hard.

Schauffele Striving For The U.S. Open Summit Again

I went out and followed Xander Schauffele for must of the morning today, in part because I wanted to be a witness to one of the surest bets in sports: Xander's ability to finish inside the Top 15 at the U.S. Open.

[Editor's note: This is not gambling advice.]

Schauffele has competed in nine U.S. Opens in his career. He has never finished worse than 14th. He was T-14 in 2022 at the Country Club at Brookline, a tournament he actually contended in before a third round 75, and he finished T-12 last year when he was still recovering from a rib injury that derailed much of his season. Every other U.S. Open, he has earned a yellow Wikipedia square on his resume for being in the Top 10.

According to Justin Ray of the 21st Group, Jack Nicklaus is the only player since World War II with a longer streak (12) in the U.S. Open. But it looks like Schauffele might add to it after shooting a 66 in the second round. He trails leader Wyndham Clark by four at the midway point of the tournament.

"I probably embrace it is the right way to put it," Schauffele said after his round. "It's a brutal week, you know. Everyone watching at home wants to see guys shooting in the 80s and doing crazy things. I get it. You know, it's once a year you get to see some carnage, and it's at a U.S. Open."

The carnage hasn't really arrived. The conditions have been mostly benign. But if it does firm up and the wind gusts, few players will be prepared to handle it better than Schauffele. I watched him hit beautiful iron shots on repeat Friday morning. On the 4th hole, statistically the toughest of the day, he hammered a drive that left him only 113 yards in, and floated a buttery, sawed-off wedge to 15 feet, then rolled in the birdie putt. It was one of the most textbook perfect executions I've seen all week.

I was admittedly skeptical about Schauffele before his 2024 season, where he won two majors. I feel into the classic trap where you punish people for being good, but not yet great. I thought he didn't have "it."

In truth, Schauffele was on a path to becoming one of the most consistent golfers on the planet. If it wasn't for his rib injury last year, we might still be talking about him in the same breath as Scottie and Rory.

I asked him after his round: How long was it before his body felt normal again?

"Probably a year," he said. "I came back after six or seven weeks, but there were times where I was, like, ah, is it phantom pain? Whatever it is, ribs are a weird spot. Just tried to be as positive as possible and rely on my team to make me healthy."

He missed the game a lot. Way more than he thought he would.

"It was a first for me," Schauffele said. "It made me appreciate the game, for sure, and sort of what it does for me mentally and how happy it makes me. Obviously it pisses me off often, but at the same time, I really missed being out, being out on Tour. I missed practicing. I have a kid now, so I have easier distractions and more tasks to do, but at this time it was just myself, my dogs, and my wife. She was sick of me being at home too long. I definitely missed playing golf and appreciated being able to play for such a long time."

Even though Schauffele won two majors in 2024, and Scheffler won two majors in 2025, he is under no delusion they're on the same level.

"If Scottie is at the top of a mountain, I almost have to talk about a different [mountain]," Schauffele said. "Mount Everest is maybe too high of a summit at this current time. Scottie has really pulled himself away from the world. Whatever mountain I decide to be on, I'm trying to climb it, for sure. Just trying to chip away each and every day."

Blown away by Miles Russell being T15 midway through his second round at this first major championship. He’s 17!

Just saw Miles Russell go well out of his way to high five a young fan on the way to the first tee after finishing up on 18. Heartwarming! The kids may be alright!

The afternoon wind right now has shifted more to the prevailing wind, with 5 more straight down at the moment. It was cross and more from the west this morning. Relatedly Rory just hit it 393 there. Also: I think Rory galleries are now by far the biggest and rowdiest, including Scottie.

Seeing the occasional still flag out at Shinnecock is pretty surreal. The wind forecast was way off. No two ways about it: a disappointment for sickos, and a tough outcome for the USGA setup team.

"Let Shinnecock be Shinnecock" has been John Bodenhamer's motto this week. Firm greens are a critical aspect of this course's identity. Let's hope we get them on the weekend.

You know what I really don't need during a U.S. Open broadcast? Mike Tirico and Steve Sands debating which golfers should be on Bravo's Summer House and Love Island.

Scaryyy spot here on 1 for Rory. Good par save to start.

Shane Lowry on what happens if you end up on the wrong side of the hole at Shinnecock:

“You just know if you miss the putt you’re gonna look like a fucking idiot.”

He said golf is not fun for him at the moment.

Two generational superstars laughing and chatting as they make their ways to the range

U.S. Open leads at Shinnecock through the halfway points:

2018: -4 (DJ)
2004: -6 (Shigeki Maruyama)
1995: -5 (G Norman)
1986: -1 (G Norman)
1896: 78 (Willie Dunn, James Foulis, Joe Loyd, John Shippen, Andrew Smith, Willie Tucker)

Scottie pulling out all the mirrors to get ready for the afternoon.

Fans turning on Bryson?

“Hey Bryson, watch out for the rope!” was yelled after yet another bogey on 17

Fried eggs go great with grape in the Hamptons

Spotted: Viktor Hovland tossing pebbles out of a bunker on 17. How dare these bunkers have rocks, what kind of muni is this!

A ping pong snowman for Dustin Johnson at the 15th 🏓☃️

https://x.com/fried_egg_golf/status/2068009715141877915?s=20

Crowd reaction to Viktor Hovland’s pants has been overwhelmingly positive today.

Lots of “He looks amazing.”

About a third of the way through today's groups, the seventh green is much easier to hit than it was yesterday. 62% of the field has hit the green so far, compared to 34% yesterday.

Conditions are easier overall, but 7 has also become easier to hit relative to other holes. Yesterday, it was the single hardest green to hold. Today, it's 10th.

Two potential reasons for the difference:
1. Since the wind is coming more out of the northwest today, 7 is no longer playing almost directly into the wind.
2. The USGA is using the left tee on 7, so the angle is slightly more into the slope of the green.

A poll based on some media center discussions this morning:

EDIT: This got caught in queue and just now popped up, but was sent around 8 am this morning when both were a more distinct possibility.

Wyndham Clark with three missed fairways in a row on Nos. 13, 14, and 15, and three easy greens in regulation.

The hack-out on 13 was a great shot, but he just got lucky with lies in/near gallery footpaths on 14 and 15.

Tough sequence of events for a golf course that stakes part of its championship identity on the notion of "we have wide fairways, but if you miss the fairway, you're not hitting the green."

Little slow out here between 4 and 5. Two groups backed up on the 5th tee

Have to give credit to NBC for incorporating the fescue drone cam from above to watch how the club gets through at impact

No shortage of obnoxious fans here, but Dipshits of the Day goes to a couple fans near the 10th green.

“Are we allowed to heckle?” asked one guy who was about 25 and holding a Coors Lite can.

“Yes, just not during their backswings” - his buddy.

And heckle the players, they did!

I think I’m in favor of adopting a pretty aggressive fan code of conduct policy. Get ‘em out of here

Listening to the coverage while I am out here and Titleist ad of the dad leaving a voicemail for Tate his daughter needs to be canceled before the weekend. Enough!

More on the 12th tee shot right now, even with Viktor’s disaster aside.

Viktor Hovland just slammed his driver on the 12th tee box after hitting a provisional ball. The first one was, in fact, out of bounds.

Until he figures out the driver, which he has been struggling with for well over a year now, we are not going to see his name at the top of any major championship leaderboards. His short game isn’t good enough to bail him out when he’s repeatedly out of position off the tee.

I used to feel bad for Joaquin Niemann. There is no doubt he is super talented, and the criticism he endured for repeated no shows in majors felt a little unfair. "It's just the small sample size," I thought, when he still hadn't posted a Top 10 in a major at the start of 2025. "He's obviously going to figure this out, and stake his claim as one of the world's best players." The idea that someone who looked so good when he won the Genesis in 2022, and then continued to excel on the LIV Tour, would get nervous in majors seemed a little unfair.

The deeper we get into his major career, however, the more evidence we have that he might actually be a mental midget in these events. His club-throwing tantrum Friday morning at the U.S. Open is the latest evidence in building a case that majors are living rent free in his head and he cannot find a way to evict them.

Kudos to The Athletic's Gabby Herzig, who tracked down the details of why the USGA decided to slap Niemann with a 2-stroke misconduct penalty early Friday morning, as we do not have video. She learned from a volunteer on site that Neimann:

• Hit two balls out of bounds, then tried to get relief from fire ants

• kicked a white flag that a volunteer used to mark his ball

• chucked his club backward a considerable distance after chunking a shot from the fescue

• Did not initially walk back to get it until he was retrieved by a police officer

There is already a lot of tantrums being thrown by the usual subjects arguing in bad faith as to why Rory McIlroy was not penalized last year for chucking a club at Oakmont after a poor shot, but thankfully veteran golf writer Bob Harig helped clear up some of confusion. According to a tweet from Harig:

"They've put in place at all the majors a code of conduct policy this year related to Rule. 1.2b. Each major is handling it differently. It's why Sergio only got a warning at the Masters

Serious Misconduct: If a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Championship Director, may apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact, intent and severity of the misconduct."

Neimann — once called "undoubtably" a Top 5 player in the world by Phil Mickelson — actually seems to have been ignited by the penalty. He's birdied 5 of 6 holes in his second round, and may still in in the mix to make the cut despite making an 11 on the 6th hole in the first round after the penalty.

Each day that goes by this week, I’m more convinced that No. 10 is one of the best par 4s in major championship golf.

Just watched the Fitzpatrick-DeChambeau-Hovland trio come through. Fitzy played to the top of the hill and hit a nice short iron in to inside 15 feet. Bryson played down the hill, leaving himself a touchy 90 yard wedge up the hill and downwind. He laid the sod over it and came up well short, all the way back down the hill. Was very fortunate to escape with par after holing a 15-footer.

Badass golf hole

Wyndham’s line, and then DJ’s line and execution on 9, which is not something I have seen much of this week! Our preview video called out the potential advantage the biggest hitters could get from the land movement but this was something else entirely.

Rules official just pulled up for a conversation with the Wyndham group. Presumably they were warned about pace but I could not track down the official. They have not had to wait on a shot since 5 tee and are on 9 now.

Live from 5

Been here for 5 minutes. My hat has already been blown off my head once. I’m excited.

Classic Dustin Johnson anecdote from John Wood on the broadcast just now:

Wood was on the bag for Matt Kuchar during the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine. DJ asked Wood to read a putt using aimpoint and told him, "do that foot thing."

Yes, chef. Thank you, chef.

We have our first code of conduct penalty and to add salt in the wound, they misspelled his name too:

The battle for "Low Man" is still wide-open heading into the second round.

#GameWithinTheGame

Good morning, all. Welcome to Friday at the U.S. Open. As we get started, a quote from Bryson last night that I'd like to share:

Q. Anything special we're doing tonight to prepare for tomorrow?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Chocolate milk.