For this host of star players, the race is run at Shinnecock Hills…
With the help of Mother Nature, Shinnecock Hills bared its teeth on the first two days and the US Open cut eventually fell at 4-over-par – and plenty of big names failed to make it in.
Look, I know you’re not here for small talk, so let’s just dive right in…
23 big names who missed the US Open cut
Bryson DeChambeau +5 (70-75)
The surprise driver switch was working in a fine opening round in Thursday’s gale-force winds, but he carded back-to-back double-bogeys at the 3rd and 4th on Friday and he never recovered. The two-time champion has now missed both cuts in this tournament since winning that second one in ’23, and has now failed to make a major weekend since last year’s Open – and even then he needed a minor miracle after an opening-round 78 at Portrush. What is going on? Answers on a postcard…
Viktor Hovland +5 (76-69)
The popular Norwegian came to Shinnecock highly fancied thanks to a combo of a T3 at Oakmont last year, a top-20 at the Masters in April, and a T3 at last week’s Canadian Open. Friday’s spirited fightback featured an incredibly dull 1-under front-nine, then a bonkers back-nine that included four birdies, two bogeys and a double. Back to the drawing board.
Rickie Fowler +5 (71-74)
It’s often felt like this was going to be the one where Fowler finally gets over the line. It’s just not going to happen though, is it?
Patrick Reed +5 (72-73)
Another player who was highly fancied this week. The lack of competitive reps seems to have caught up with the 2018 Masters champ.
Harris English +5 (72-73)
Makes it into this list as a top-25 player in the world. Not sure many will be losing sleep over it, though.
Shane Lowry +6 (73-73)
The Irishman had a nice major run of T6-T19-6 before going into the final round of the 2025 Masters well in contention. A final-round 81 dropped him outside the top 40 and he doesn’t seem to have got over it, having gone MC-MC-T40-T30-T44 and now another MC in the big four since.
Jon Rahm +6 (68-78)
The only player in this list with a sub-70 round on the card. All seemed OK at even-par thru 27 holes, then six dropped shots in five holes on the back-nine means the 2021 champion will be heading home empty handed.
Patrick Cantlay +6 (74-72)
Starting to feel increasingly like he isn’t going to make the major breakthrough for which so many tipped him. That, of course, means he runs the risk of being best-known for Ryder Cup Hatgate…
Cameron Smith +6 (75-71)
The Aussie arrested a run of six straight major missed cuts with a T7 at the Masters in April, but it looks it’s back to the drawing board.
Lucas Herbert +6 (74-72)
Speaking of recent LIV Golf winners, the Aussie told TG before the US Open that joining the league had boosted his chances of winning a major. Perhaps he means starting at The Open in July…
Kristoffer Reitan +6 (70-76)
He can get it done in the Signature Events, but can he get it done in the majors? You’ll have to wait until The Open to find out…
Si Woo Kim +6 (77-69)
The World No. 18 went out in 42 on Thursday – and it was just too much to come back from, despite getting in the red on day two.
Alex Noren +6 (74-72)
The World No. 20’s record here has divorced dad vibes – by which I mean he’s only made it for three weekends out of 12.
Min Woo Lee +7 (74-73)
The Aussie said he didn’t join LIV Golf because he didn’t want to risk missing major championships as he chases his sister, Minjee, who is just one victory away from completing the LPGA Grand Slam. Now he just needs to work on making weekends.
Sepp Straka +7 (72-75)
The Austrian has a peculiar major record that includes just two top-10s. Since his runner-up finish to Brian Harman at the 2023 Open, Straka has missed six of 11 cuts. Not good enough for a top-20 player.
Jake Knapp +8 (77-71)
A spirited Friday fightback from the World No. 43, who has been battling injury in recent weeks. That gorgeous swing has got to come good in one of these at some point…
Adam Scott +8 (73-75)
Became just the second player after Jack Nicklaus to play in 100 majors in a row, but that’s as good as it got for the former World No. 1.
JJ Spaun +8 (77-71)
The American will not be joining Willie Anderson, John McDermott, Bobby Jones, Ralph Guldahl, Ben Hogan, Curtis Strange and Brooks Koepka on the list of players who have successfully retained their US Open crown. In fact, it might go down as one of the worst title defences in this grand old championship.
David Puig +9 (77-72)
It was a spirited attempt to make the cut, but the Fireballs star is struggling to turn his LIV Golf form into major championship form.
Nicolai Hojgaard +9 (74-75)
That T16 at the 2024 Masters feels like an awful long time ago, doesn’t it? The Dane’s US Open record now reads T50-MC. Maybe this isn’t the one for him.
Brooks Koepka +10 (73-77)
The two-time champ was a doubt to even start after withdrawing from last week’s Canadian Open with a hand injury. But he sent a stern warning to his rivals in his pre-US Open press conference. Unfortunately he couldn’t live up to the promise.
Padraig Harrington +11 (77-74)
Playing with 17-year-old amateur Miles Russell, who wasn’t born when Harrington won his three major championships, the Irishman’s race was largely run by the turn after a front-nine 41.
Graeme McDowell +12 (76-76)
The 2010 champ, playing in his first US Open since his 10-year exemption ran out after coming through Final Qualifying, looked to be rolling back the years when he raced to 2-under-par to top the leaderboard. But then it all started to unravel.