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U.S. Open Second Round Recap

After a relatively easy first day, Oakmont proved why it is known as one of the toughest courses in the world in the second round.

Published

19 years ago

Jun 16, 2007

K Vakamudi

Oakmont Church Pews After the first day of play, many golfers were on the verge of calling Oakmont "easy". On the second day, Oakmont decided to fight back. With the minor exception of Paul Casey’s round of 66, Oakmont stole the headlines and story away from the players as the thick rough, and hardened greens frustrated the best players in the world.

Now that second round play has closed, the spotlight has focused squarely on the USGA’s ability to keep the course in check and avoid a repeat of the 2004 U.S. Open at Shinnecock where some of the greens became so hard and fast that stopping any shot became an impossible task. When Tiger Woods was asked if he thought the USGA was allowing Oakmont’s conditions to get away from them, he replied, "It’s close. It’s right on the edge, I think. The first green, that was — thank God I have spikes on, because I think it would have slipped right off the back."

However, Woods was not the only player voicing his concerns about the USGA’s course conditions. After finishing his second round at +7, Phil Mickelson walked off the course frustrated, with a painful injured wrist and addressed the media. To the surprise of many, he was upset with the USGA allowing a course to play so difficult it presented risk to players, "Well, it’s disappointing to dream as a kid about winning the U.S. Open and spend all this time getting ready for it and have the course setup, injury, you know? To think that the end of this tournament — you’re trying to win and hit great shots but you’re also trying to not end your career on one shot, which — or at least suspend it for a while. That’s a little disappointing, yeah." At the end of play, Mickelson finished just one shot outside the cut line and was left with a year to re-evaluate his preparation and continue his dreams of winning a U.S. Open.

Jim Hyler, Chairman of the USGA’s Chamionship Committee, responded to the criticism by saying, "We listen to what he says, but it won’t have an impact on what we do [to the course]. It’s our national championship, so we want it to be a rigorous test. We’ve had tough rough at the U.S. Open for years. We like where we are right now, we don’t pay attention to scores." However, Hyler did say that crews would be out at night to water the greens, in an attempt to slow them down, and would be paying close attention to the 10th and 12th which were playing especially difficult today.

While the average score for the field was a staggering 76.9, England’s Paul Casey shocked the field by carding a 66. Casey played the USGA’s game, missing only one fairway and reaping the benefits by carding five birdies and only one bogey throughout his round. Casey said, "A 66 is way beyond my expectations. I’m still a bit surprised. The goal was to go out and shoot something level, a couple over maybe, and finish below probably 10-over and try to get into the weekend." Interestingly, Casey admitted that the only time during his round he was nervous was putting out for par on his last hole, the 9th, with many other players watching from the practice green, "I don’t like playing in front of my peers," Casey said. "I feel like everybody’s critiquing." There was not much about Casey’s round to critique, in fact many players were shocked that anyone was able produce such a low score with the difficult Oakmont conditions.

Nevertheless, Casey’s 66 was not enough to vault him up the leaderboard. The top spot belonged to Angel Cabrera. The Argentinian shot 71 today to bring his two round total to even par – 140 and take a one shot lead over Bubba Watson. With such a premium being placed on driving accuracy and the difficulty of the rough, it came as quite a suprise to some to see the tandem of big hitters at the top of the leader board. However, neither one particulary fit hte U.S. Open mold of fairways and greens. Watson hit only 57% of his fairways and 61% of the greens in regulation. Yet, both find themselves sharing the 36 hole lead. Watson said, "The one thing, everybody keeps saying in the interviews, they say that if your game is off any bit; so if your game is on, anybody has a chance to win. Anybody that’s playing good, all it has to take is that one week you play great, and you can win."

Pos	Player	R1	R2	Tot
1	Angel Cabrera	69	71	E
2	Bubba Watson	70	71	+1
T3	Aaron Baddeley	72	70	+2
T3	Justin Rose	71	71	+2
T3	Stephen Ames	73	69	+2
T3	Nicholas Fasth	71	71	+2
7	Paul Casey	77	66	+3
T8	Brandt Snedeker	71	73	+4
T8	Tom Pernice Jr.	72	72	+4
T8	Carl Pettersson	72	72	+4

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open

Published

21 hours ago

Jun 3, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX Tour Photographer made the trip from the Memorial Tournament across the country to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. Check out links to all the photos below!

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Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament

Published

3 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.

In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.

Check out links to all our photos below.

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News

Tour Tech Rundown: Heroic Henley

Published

3 days ago

Jun 1, 2026

Ronald Montesano

Around the world, the golf wheel spun this final week in May of 2026. From New Jersey to Austria, with stops in Korea, Texas, and North Carolina (don’t let me route your next trip) the world’s finest put their golf games on display. There were three playoffs, some known commodities and some new talent. It was the sort of week that we hope to have at this point in the seasons. June and July afford double-digit major events, and perhaps, one of this week’s champions will use this success as a springboard to new heights. Time to run it all down, tech style, in this week’s Tour Tech Rundown.

Thanks to WITBHub, Today’s Golfer, GolfWRX, and Inside Tour Golf for initial research into equipment.

PGA Tour @ Charles Schwab Challenge: Heroic Henley denies Cole

Eric Cole did nearly everything that a fellow can do, to secure a first PGA Tour title. He stayed one shot clear of Ryder Cup player Ben Griffin. He kept US Open champion Gary Woodland and wunderkind Michael Brennan two shots distant. He posted 70 on day four to reach twelve under par. And then, Russell Henley revealed his Dr. Strange cloak. Henley made 47 feet of birdie putts on holes 16, 17, and 18, to jump from minus-nine to twelve-deep, and secured a spot in a playoff with Cole. The duo returned to the final tee, and put on a stripe show.

Both golfers found the fairway off the tee, and Henley improved on his regulation play with an approach to four feet. Cole did himself proud, tucking an iron to a dozen feet, but he was unable to convert the putt for three. Henley is one of the best putters on tour, and he proved it once more by draining a putt for a fourth consecutive birdie, and a sixth PGA Tour title. For Eric Cole, that first victory should come, and soon. He has done everything necessary to earn the chalice lift.

Henley’s Suitcase

Driver: Titleist TSi3 at 10 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 70g 6.5 TX
Metal: Titleist TS3 at 16.5 degrees. Shaft: Project X HZRDUS Smoke Black 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist TSi2 at 21 degrees. Shaft: Mitsubishi MMT hybrid 100 TX
Iron: Titleist T250 4-iron. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 5-6 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf AMT Tour White X100
Irons: Titleist T100 7-9 irons. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 48 and 50 degrees. Shaft: True Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 at 54 and 60 degrees. Shaft: rue Temper Dynamic Golf Tour Issue S400
Putter: Titleist Scotty Cameron T5 Tour Prototype

LPGA @ Shoprite LPGA: Welcome back, Celine!

Soo Bin Joo had her eyes on a maiden LPGA title. She held the lead after two rounds, then hit a red light at the intersection of can-I and how-To. Joo posted plus-two on day three in New Jersey, and dropped to a T4 finish, which was still a career-best for the young Korean golfer. Instead of a new face, a familiar face returned to the top of the podium.

Celine Boutier was the It Girl in 2023. She collected four victories, including a major title at Evian. Boutier reached world number one status, then simply faded into the background. No wins came her way over the next 30 months. On Sunday, she collected LPGA victory number seven, at the same trace as LPGA victory number two.

Day three saw Boutier manage the windswept Seaview Bay course with six birdies and a bogey. She was challenged in the end by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol, who signed for a 66 of her own. Yubol came up one shot shy of the top ladder rung. Finishing in third place at -7, two back of the winner, was Ireland’s Lauren Walsh.

Celine’s Suitcase

Driver: PXG 0311 Black Ops Tour-1 at 9 degrees. Shaft: Graphite Design AD IZ-5
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Black Ops at 19 and 22 degrees. Shaft: KBS Hybrid Prototype
Hybrid: PXG 0311 Gen5.
Iron: PXG 0311 P Gen 4 5-9 irons
Wedge: PXG 0311 T Gen 4 PW
Wedges: PXG 0311 Sugar Daddy II at 50, 54, 58 degrees
Putter: Bettinardi Studio Stock 3 DASS

DP World Tour @ Austrian Alpine: KK? KK!

Kota Kaneko has a rhythmic name. It has strong vowels and a run of voiceless stops in its crunchy K sounds. On Sunday in Austria, Kaneko put a stop to a challenge from Portugal’s Ricardo Gouveia and everyone else, and claimed a first-ever title on the DP World Tour. Gouveia did well to reach 16-under par over four days, but Kaneko held firm, two shots in the clear.

Davis Bryant of the USA also forged a strong challenge for the win. He ended in a tie with Gouveia for second place. Kaneko began and finished his final round in a bit of a malaise, but he caught fire midway through. Birdies at 10, 12, and 13 provided the necessary cushion to cruise to the finish line without breaking a serious sweat.

Kaneko’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping Max G440
Metals: TaylorMade Qi4D at 15, 16.5, 21, and 24 degrees
Irons: TaylorMade P760 5 and 6 irons
Irons: TaylorMade P7TW 7-9 irons
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design at 46, 52, 56, and 60 degrees
Putter: Odyssey Ai-One Cruiser Arm Lock #7

Korn Ferry Tour @ UNC Health Championship: Improbably Alvaro

Alvaro Ortiz may have had a bit of scare on the outward nine on Sunday, but he came through in clutch fashion in the end. Ortiz began the day bogey-double, and added another double bogey at the 11th hole. He was mired in a downward trend, spiraling away from the top of the leader’s board. Ortiz found hope at the 14th, where his first birdie of the day tumbled home. Inspired, he closed with birdies and 17 and 18 to catch Ross Steelman at 10-under par, and the duo returned to the 18th deck for overtime.

The extra session concluded in brief time. Ortiz, buoyed by his newly-retrieved confidence, hit the fairway with driver, then approached to six feet and drained the putt. Gobsmacked, Steelman could do little more than smile and applaud, as his run at the top came to a close. The victory was the first for Ortiz on the KFT, and will implant him squarely in the chase for a PGA Tour promotion.

Alvaro’s Suitcase

Driver: Ping G430 MAX driver at 9 degrees loft
Metal: Ping G430 MAX 3W
Iron: Ping iDi Driving Iron
Irons: Ping Blueprint S irons
Wedges
Putter: Scottsdale TR Piper C

A party on the green!

Alvaro’s time comes in Raleigh with his first win @UNCHealthChamp ? pic.twitter.com/2dmtZdbSzk

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) May 31, 2026

LIV @ Korea: Me llamo Joaquin

Chile’s Joaquin Niemann had been away from the LIV winner’s circle throughout all of 2026. This week in Korea, he reminded us that he is still a force to consider. Niemann chased down Taylor Gooch over the closing holes at Asiad Country Club, then claimed victory with a hole-one birdie in extra time. Bryson DeChambeau claimed solo third, one shot in arrears at minus-eleven. Dustin Johnson finished on fourth, one putt farther back.

Niemann’s Suitcase