On Friday, June 20th, 2026, Round 2 of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills delivered historic highs and catastrophic lows, headlined by Wyndham Clark's record-setting pace and a disastrous cut day for LIV Golf's biggest stars.

WYNDHAM CLARK'S REDEMPTION ARC

• Wyndham Clark seized control of Shinnecock Hills, setting a 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record at 7-under par, marking a stunning mental turnaround following his infamous locker-kicking suspension at Oakmont in 2025.
• "Sometimes you go up and sometimes you have to go down to go back up," Clark said regarding his recent work with sports therapist Julie Elion.
• Clark's newfound zen is a stark contrast to last year's explosive outbursts, proving that prioritizing mental health can directly translate to major championship leaderboards.

LIV GOLF'S FRIDAY DISASTER

• It was a brutal Friday for the LIV Golf contingent, with heavyweights Jon Rahm (+6) and Bryson DeChambeau (+5) shockingly missing the cut while Dustin Johnson suffered a catastrophic back-nine collapse.
• DJ went from bombing a 391-yard drive over a spectator crosswalk to carding a brutal quadruple-bogey eight on the 15th hole, plummeting down the leaderboard to +3.
• Despite the massive drives, the punishing Shinnecock layout proved that raw power is no match for U.S. Open rough, sending two of the game's biggest stars packing early.

NIEMANN'S MELTDOWN & HIGGS' MIRACLE

• Joaquin Niemann made history for the wrong reasons, receiving a two-stroke penalty under the new USGA Rule 1.2b for throwing his club 50 yards after being denied fire ant relief, turning a 9 into an 11.
• Niemann owned the meltdown, admitting, "that was a misbehave from my part," before incredibly bouncing back to shoot a 65.
• Meanwhile, Harry Higgs went from nearly quitting golf 12 days ago to making the cut at -1 in borrowed pants, draining a 75-foot putt on the 11th to feel "like a rock star."

OFF-COURSE SHOCKER: MICKELSON SCANDAL

• A shocking off-course scandal rocked the golf world as Phil Mickelson was confronted mid-round and forced to resign from The Farms Country Club over allegations of nonconsensual physical contact with a female employee.
• Mickelson's camp has quickly dismissed the serious allegations as a mere "misunderstanding."
• The mid-round confrontation adds a dark, unprecedented layer of drama to an already chaotic and historic U.S. Open week.

Quick Hits

Schauffele, Fitzpatrick (-3), Scheffler, and Morikawa (65) lurk on the leaderboard while McIlroy recovers to even par after thinning a 78-yard wedge • 17-year-old Miles Russell impressively makes the weekend cut • Amateur Giuseppe Puebla makes NIL history by sporting a Chipotle hat on the course

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.