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SPORTS Saturday 17 June 2017
The top 3 miss U.S. Open cut, leaving 4-way tie for the lead

By DOUG FERGUSON cool experience,” Fleet- Casey discovered how
AP Golf Writer wood said. “It’s still Satur- little it takes to make a big
ERIN, Wis. (AP) — The big- day — 36 holes is a very number in the U.S. Open —
gest surprise at this U.S. long time in a U.S. Open. and at this U.S. Open, how
Open was not who was Anything can happen.” a recovery is never too far
leading, but who was leav- Just about everything al- away.
ing. ready has at Erin Hills. Casey laid up in the rough,
Dustin Johnson, Rory McIl- A commercial blimp took two chops to get out
roy and Jason Day — the crashed to the ground and of more rough behind the
top three players in the caught fire just outside the 14th green, and staggered
world, all of them profess- course Thursday, about the away with a triple-bogey 8
ing expansive Erin Hills to be time the county health de- that might have ruined his
perfect for their games — partment was analyzing day at Erin Hills. Moments
spent Friday cleaning out samples that confirmed ev- later, he began a run of
their lockers after missing idence of the E. coli bacte- five straight birdies that put
the cut. ria in water at a hydration him right where he wanted
Left behind was the biggest station near the 12th hole. to be going into the week-
36-hole logjam in 43 years The USGA is providing com- Jason Day, of Australia, and Rory McIlroy, of Ireland, shake end.
at the U.S. Open. plimentary bottled water hands after the second round of the U.S. Open golf tournament “Not every day you enjoy a
Friday, June 16, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis.
Paul Casey chopped his the rest of the week. There Associated Press round of golf with an 8 on
way to a triple bogey, only have been no reports yet the card, but I’m a pretty
to respond with five straight of anyone getting sick. lost so much ground over lead, though not his chanc- happy man,” Casey said.
birdies that carried him to a And then Friday, a 94-year- the final two hours. He went es of breaking through for “Yeah, it was a bit of a roller
1-under 71 and make him old man at the tournament from pouring putts into the that first major. coaster. I guess it’s rare you
the first to post at 7-under for the first time stopped center of the cup to burn- “We’re in a good spot,” get through a U.S. Open
137. He set the target early breathing while in a grand- ing the edges, and his 39 on Fowler said. “Looking for- or any major without some
under warm sunshine, and stand on the sixth hole and the back nine cost him the ward to the next two days.” kind of a hiccup.”q
even as the wind tapered died of what Washing-
in the afternoon, no one ton County officials said
could catch him. appeared to be natural
Brooks Koepka had the causes. Next up is a week-
lead until he turned a birdie end without most of the
chance into a bogey on biggest names in golf. The
the par-5 first hole after cut for the top 60 and ties
making the turn. He didn’t was at 1-over 145, tying
make a birdie the rest of a U.S. Open record set in
the way and had to settle 1990 at Medinah.
for a 70. They were joined Johnson was hitting it so
by Brian Harman and Tom- well that he appeared to
my Fleetwood of England, be safe even when he was
who each had a 70. on the cut line. But then
Right behind was a trio of he three-putted from long
players that included Rickie range on the 13th and
Fowler, who went 28 holes the 14th, and lost all hope
before making his first bo- when he missed the green
gey and then went three on the 17th while going af-
holes without making a par. ter the flag. He shot 73 and
Fowler shot a 73 and was missed the cut by three.
still very much in the hunt at “I couldn’t have shot any
a second straight major. higher,” Johnson said. “I
The four-way tie was the couldn’t possibly shoot
most after two rounds in any higher than I did. I just
a U.S. Open since Winged struggled on the greens. It’s
Foot in 1974, back when simple.”
the names were more fa- Day never had a chance,
miliar for a major — Ray- following his career-worst
mond Floyd, Arnold Palmer, 79 in a U.S. Open with a 75.
Gary Player and Hale Irwin, McIlroy came to life when it
who went on to win his first was far too late. He made
major. four birdies over the last six
The last six majors have holes to salvage a 71, but
been won by first-timers, he still missed the cut for
and that cycle has a good the second straight year.
chance to continue. The Joining them with a week-
top 18 players on the lea- end off — British Open
derboard going into the champion Henrik Stenson,
weekend have combined Alex Noren, Jon Rahm, Jus-
for zero majors. Only a half- tin Rose and Adam Scott.
dozen of them have even That left only four of the top
experienced Sunday con- 12 in the world to play the
tention in golf’s biggest weekend at Erin Hills.
events. Fowler has the best
“Tomorrow will be a very chance, even though he