Tiger Woods headlines the big names heading home early from Pinehurst. Getty Images We are officially at the halfway point of the 124th U.S.
Open, and so far, the third major of the year has delivered. Ludvig Aberg and Mathieu Pavon highlight the top of the leaderboard in Round 2, while stars such as Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay remain close in chase. It’s setting up for one heck of a weekend in the Carolina Sand Hills.
For some, though, their week at Pinehurst No. 2 is already over. As the final golfers finished their rounds Friday evening, the cut was officially made at five over.
Here are 10 surprising golfers who missed the cut and won’t be around this weekend. Viktor Hovland What he shot: 78-68 (+6) Why it’s surprising: Hovland has been in the wilderness for much of 2024, but at last month’s PGA Championship, he seemed to have figured it out. After getting back together with swing coach Joe Mayo, the Norwegian looked like the Hovland of old as he finished solo third.
On Thursday at Pinehurst No. 2, though, he regressed once again as he shot an eight-over 78. To Hovland’s credit, he bounced back in Round 2 with a two-under 68, but with the cutline coming at five over, he comes up just short of the weekend.
What he shot: 73-73 (+6) Why it’s surprising: It’s not necessarily surprising to see a first-year pro miss the cut at the U.S. Open, but the fashion in which Dunlap MC’d makes this one noteworthy.
The 20-year-old arrived at his fin.
