The Shinnecock Hills Golf Club and brutal gusty winds dashed hopes of some of the biggest names in Golf as many of them flunked halfway through.  Woods, Spieth, McIlroy and several other marquee names missed the U.S. Open cut and are already heading early home.

 

 

 

 

                                                        Shubhankar played with a lot of valour and purpose 

 

 

 

Despite playing with a lot of grit, Shubhankar Sharma saw his hopes of making his way at the weekend getting crashed literally on the final hole.

 

 

On Day 2, Sharma started on the 10th, absorbing a couple of early bogeys and his hopes of making it big at the prestigious tournament evaporated. 

 

 

Tiger Woods closed his round with back-to-back birdies to sniff the cut line, but it moved during the afternoon wave and he is among those headed home early.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                     Tiger Woods failed to put up a good show

 

 

 

The cut — top 60 and ties — turned out to be eight over. So even though Woods made clutch putts late, his 10-over total (78-72) wasn't enough for a weekend tee time.

 

 

"Unfortunately, it's just what I've done the last few events," Woods said. "I just haven't putted well. You know, if I would have putted like I did the beginning of the year with this ball-striking, that would be ideal. Unfortunately, I just haven't done that."

 

 

Dustin Johnson has shown the ability to perform well on some tough golf courses. He won the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club, one of the most difficult venues in the world.

 

 

 

                                           Johnson holds a four-shot lead at the midpoint of the U.S. Open

 

 

Now, after a 3-under 67 on Friday, Johnson holds a four-shot lead at the midpoint of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, where only three players in the 156-player field are at par or better. Johnson is the only guy with a red number next to his name.

 

 

 

“You’ve got to play really good golf if you want to shoot a good score,” Johnson said. “I like where par is a good score on every hole no matter what club you’ve got in your hand, what hole it is.”

 

 

Defending champion Brooks Koepka and Tommy Fleetwood each shot 66, the low score of the day, and are in a five-way tie for fourth, at 1 over. Henrik Stenson (70), Justin Rose (70) and Ian Poulter, who played the final two holes in 4-over (72), are also at 141.

 

 

Day 1: Shubhankar tied at T-37 on his US Open debut, Johnson shares lead with 3 others