Sam Burns remains at the top of the US Open leaderboard after the second round.

Oakmont Shows Its Teeth at the US Open

Oakmont, Pennsylvania – The Oakmont course proved challenging during the second round of the US Open on Friday.

While the first round set a high bar, the second round was notably tougher, particularly for some of the favorites.

Scotty Schaeffler, currently the world’s top player, found himself struggling to stay within reach of the cut line, trailing leader Sam Burns by seven strokes.

Burns, after an impressive 5-under 65 on Friday, led the pack at 3 under, making him one of the few players under par in a field of 156.

Alongside him were JJ Spaun, who led the first round at 2 under, and Viktor Hovland at 1 under. Adam Scott and Ben Griffin, two strong competitors, managed to par.

Despite his difficulties, Schaeffler made it to the weekend. Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, closed his round at six over but ignored media requests, continuing a trend of avoiding interviews that began after his Masters victory in April.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau also had a rough day, finishing at 10 over and briskly leaving the course without engaging with the press.

Oakmont has a way of challenging even the best, as seen in past tournaments where players like Dustin Johnson and Shane Lowry struggled just as Schaeffler and DeChambeau did.

Interestingly, Burns seemed relatively unfazed by the tough conditions. He noted the difficulty of scoring well in these major tournaments, having only secured one top 10 finish in 2024.

Yet, his performance on Friday stood out among a sea of struggles, as he posted what turned out to be the best round of the tournament.

When asked if he thought a 65 was possible during practice, Burns mentioned he hadn’t focused too much on specific scores, stating it’s hard to predict how courses will play.

“If you can post a good round here, you take it,” he said, acknowledging his recent good form after a playoff loss at the Canadian Open.

Burns expressed his goal of maximizing opportunities on the course, where he excels as one of the top putters in the game.

Schaeffler commented on Burns’ putting skills, noting his natural instinct and reactionary style, which give him an edge.

When reflecting on his competitive mindset, Schaeffler emphasized that Burns has repeatedly placed himself in contention during majors, hinting that this weekend should be an exciting challenge for him.

Burns also shared insights from his past experiences in major tournaments, stating that perfection isn’t the way to go on difficult courses like Oakmont.