Erin Hills, Wisconsin …
Rory Mcllroy’s Erin Hills fondness was short-lived with the World No. 2 being left red-faced in missing a second straight U.S. Open halfway cut.
McIlroy, and clearly lacking any competitive edge, stumbled his way to horror scores of 78 and 71 for a five over tally and be assured of missing the projected cut of one over.
He had been level at the turn but then bogeyed three holes in succession from his tenth and with the “weekend off” writing then in bold letters on the wall.
At the 10th, or the first of the course, McIlroy three-putted from just eight-feet whereas at both his 11th and 12th holes he missed the green right taking three shots, and from 66-yards out, to get down at the 11th and also three shots to hole out from just 54-feet at 12.
But then there was some good work ahead of contesting next week’s Travellers in Connecticut with four birdies in his last six holes but all too late.
Rory McIlroy on route to a bogey at the 12th hole at Erin Hills.
“I showed up for the last six holes, anyway,” he said.
“So, it was okay. I definitely hit it better off the tee. I think I hit 10 or 11 fairways other than the four or five I did yesterday.
“I gave myself a lot more looks but at the end of the day, it’s competitive rounds and get the card in my hand. And I’ve been very light on competitive rounds this year, and it’s just a matter of getting into a good round of golf now.
“I saw some positives there on the back nine coming in, and hopefully I can take them to the Travelers next week.
“And as I said, just excited to get on a run of golf and get going”.
But then four days after speaking of his fondness for the course, and somewhat taking personally fellow player criticism, the World No. 2 was already home in Florida before good friend and first round leader, Richie Fowler had got well into his second round.
McIlroy arrived in rural Wisconsin contesting his 34th Major and since making his debut by winning the “Low Amateur” award at the 2007 Open Championship.
And missing the cut is now the seventh occasion he has sat out the weekend rounds in a Major and with four of those seven being in a U.S.Open, including missing the cut now in the past two.
In fairness, it was a better driving display from McIlroy. He had hit just five of 14 Erin Hills fairways on day one and by the turn on day two he had matched that figure.
He revealed he had discussed his first round with long time coach, Michael Bannon and managed to correct being too quick with his transition.
“Basically, Michael was saying I was getting to the top and it was a real lunge at it,” he said.
“So I just tried to smooth out the transition today and it definitely worked. A weekend with a little bit of practice coming up. I think at this point in time I just need to play a round of golf.
“And I feel, even though it’s very disappointing to not be here on the weekend, but I think these last two rounds will serve me well going into the summer”
Overall, McIlroy hit 1o of 14 fairways but clearly it was his second shot play that was the root cause.
In contrast, Shane Lowry was right on the expected cut-off mark of one-par with scores of 71 and a second day TBA for a -under par tally.
However, it will mean a long anxious afternoon wait for Lowry and if successful, it will be the third time in five starts the World No. 69 will play all four rounds of the Major.
Lowry’s second day began indifferently with bogeys at two and four before holing a 12-footer for birdie at the par five, seventh hole.
He then dropped shots at eight and nine to make the turn in three-over before clawing one back with a seven-foot birdie at the par three, 13thahead of dropping a shot at 14th but then going two-under for the three par 3s in holing a four-footer at 16 and then with two pars.
“I fought well on the back nine, I got off to a bit of a shaky start and hit a few bogeys,” said Lowry.
“It was a lot tougher, tricky pins, so I am pretty happy. I fought back well. I had a bad bogey on 14, bad error, and birdie on 16, made hard work of the last but I am here for the weekend.
“I know Paul Casey is on seven under, interested to see what Rickie does, but I am still in it.
“I think the winning score is going to be in single digits, hopefully make a few birdies and give myself a chance.
“I went out yesterday, gave it my best and played great. I did not get as much out of the round as I felt I deserved, this was a different story. I felt the same, committed to every shot just didn’t put it on the shelves I was going for at times.
“But the pins were a lot tougher than they were yesterday, you get the wrong side you’re going to have a tough par. I probably need to drive it a little bit better and again my pace was off on the greens towards the end, left quite a few putts short.
“The greens are looking quicker than they are not it is something I will have to get right.
“But I will just keep doing what I am doing. I feel like I know where the ball is going. If things don’t go my way this week I know I have got a good summer ahead of me.”
Paul Casey was having more fun in superbly seizing the U.S. Open clubhouse lead with scores of 66 and 71 to lead by a shot at seven under.
Casey, who went into the second round sharing second, battled back from a fat lady “8” early in his round to then birdie five in succession from his eighth hole in a round of 71 to move to seven-under in bright, warm but continuing windy conditions to the north-west of Milwaukee.
