Seventy-two golfers survived the +4-or-better cut on day two at Shinnecock Hills. Those who shall depart early, will be addressed in the fifth agenda point below. Today, it’s all about the agenda, so the five things that we learned across holes 19 through 36, will be examined within a quintet of agenda bullet points. The weather was less intense on Friday. The added pressure to post a number to survive the cut, or remain in contention, made up for the calm before the storm. When all is done and said, the remaining golfers are a stout lot, and we are in for one wing-ding of a weekend.
During major championship recaps, I take a break from the deep dive into equipment, to focus on the shots and course conditions. On one hand, it’s nice to narrow the focus to the players and their effort. On the other, I lose a sense of the tools that allowed those decisions and results to manifest. For those not paying attention, 36-hole leader Wyndham Clark made a massive putter switch in the spring. He shifted a Ping Scottsdale TEC Ally Blue Onset from the practice green to the competition surfaces in Houston. Since then, Clark has putted like the self that won the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023. His evolution culminated in a win at the CJ Cup, the week after the PGA Championship.
We’ll leave Clark’s work to the introduction, to allow for five other agenda items. Clark was not the birdie machine that roared on Thursday. He kept his bogey total (two) low, and eclipsed it by one with birdies (three.) He advanced his cause one shot. If he is able to advance his cause each day, he should secure a second U.S. Open vessel. Low numbers were in evidence on each of the first two days; they will need to remain attainable, if someone is to track down the leader.
Onward, then, to the five agenda items that define the five things that we learned on day two at the 2026 U.S. Open
Agenda Item One: Matt Fitzpatrick and long bunker shots
The feel-good story of 2026 has been the arrival of Alex Fitzpatrick on the PGA Tour, and the role that his brother played. Alex and Matt partnered in New Orlenas, with a PGA Tour card on the line. Alex dumped his approach to the par-five closing hole in the front bunker, a decent place to be. With zero delay, Matt stepped up and sliced a long blast to within 18 inches of the hole. The game was over and the card belonged to Alex.
Now, it’s June, and Matt and Alex are up to no good once again. Alex is +1 through two rounds, while older brother Matt is four shots better, in second place. One of the reasons that Matt earned a final-game pairing with Wyndham Clark, is the sand shot from hole six. The 480 yard beast, on the far end of the course, saw Fizpatrick’s drive sail right, into the fescue. The whispy strands grabbed hold of Matt’s hosel, and the ball jerked left, finishing left of the green. Faced with a 40-yard recovery, Fitzpatrick zipped his long explosion from the waste area, to about 24 inches. Seriously? When he’s on, it’s a wonder that Matt Fitzpatrick doesn’t win every event that he enters.
Agenda Item Two: Morikawa and Schauffele, Esq.
Much has been made of Scottie Scheffler’s first attempt at the career grand slam. Little has been made of Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele, and their pursuit of the four majors. Each has a PGA and Open title to his name, and each as the sort of game that seems designed for success at the U.S. Open. This week at Shinnecock Hills, the pair is in contention through two days of play.
Collin Morikawa equalled Joaquin Niemann for the day’s low round. For the Chilean, 65 meant that he would play on the weekend, nothing more. For Morikawa, it moved him inside the top six, in certain contention. The La Canada resident’s heralded iron game was on full display on day two. Seven birdies were the result of laser accuracy from the fairway. Putting woes or not, it’s hard to mess up from two feet. More of this from Morikawa, and he’ll secure a late tee time on Sunday.
As for Xander, his 66 was the result of thrifty play. Five birdies against one bogey gave him the second-low tally for the day. Schauffele moved into the 3:34 tee slot, the penultimate pairing with Sam Stevens. If anyone is capable of 65 or better on Saturday, it’s one of these two, multi-major winners.
Agenda Item Three: The Amateurs
With all the capability of video editing, one might think that the USGA would have time to create a package on the amateurs. Five amateurs competed at The Masters in April, but none survived the cut. Today at Shinnecock Hills, five amateurs made the cut. Their scores ranged from even par (Ryder Cown) to plus-four (Eric Lee.) Both Lee and Cowan compete for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, so it’s understandable that Stillwater is ablaze with pride tonight. Unheralded Marek Fleing (University of South Carolina) joined Lee at four-over, right on the cut line. The final two amateurs, at +3, are Miles Russell (Florida State commit) and Jackson Koivun (Auburn University and god of amateur golf.)
There is no wide-eyed awe among any of these golfers. All are destined for professional careers, but for this week, they further the tradition that Bobby Jones and other, non-professionals, established at the American national championship. We’ve written before that the odds of any remaining in the top ten on Saturday evening are long and shaky, but we should love to be proven wrong. Cheers to the amateurs. USGA, about that video highlight package?
Agenda Item Four: The Missing
It has been a rough year for golfers from LIV. Bryson DeChambeau failed to show up, scorecard-wise, for the third major of the year. Jon Rahm went from 68 to 78 and joined BDC on the sidelines. Perhaps they can make some YouTube content in their free time this weekend. Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, David Puig, Graeme McDowell, and Carlos Ortiz all missed the halfway cut. The lead LIVer is Tyrrell Hatton, currently tied for 34th. Five others from the rogue circuit made the cut, but none features on anyone’s Bingo card.
It was a surprise to see the defending Shinnecock Open champion (Brooks Koepka in 2018) miss the cut. While not pegged as a contender, Koepka was in control of his game on both days, until he wasn’t. He is joined on the sidelines by Adam Scoott, Patrick Cantlay, Sepp Straka, Min Woo Lee, defending champion J.J. Spaun, and Patrick Reed, among others. Shinnecock Hills, despite some low scores, continues to be death by one thousand cuts. A missed fairway (and they are wide!) here, an incorrect green quadrant there, and the strokes slip from your grasp. To honor the fallen, let’s feature a package from a fellow used to missing major cuts. 2026 is different for Tom Kim, so please draw inspiration from these highlights.
Agenda Item Five: Five tee times to watch
Let’s begin with the 11:50 pairing of Cameron Young and Sungjae Im. I get the sense that neither one has made the putts thus far, but Saturday will prove different. I expect both golfers to post 67 or better, and make a move up the board. Next comes the 12:50 collaboration between Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood. The Ryder Cup teammates should feel comfortable with each other, and comfort often leads to success. Continuing down the line, at 1:28 we have Aaron Rai and Corey Conners. Rai is the newly-crowned PGA Champion; he skipped the step of winning a regular PGA Tour event, and went straight for the major. Conners has the regular titles, but comes undone over the final 36 holes of major events. Perhaps the presence of Rai and his recent success, will free Conners up to reach his potential. The 2:01 pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Brian Harman has potential. Both are veterans of national USA teams, creating a dynamic similar to the Aberg-Fleetwood one mentioned above. My final pairing to watch is the 3:12 alignment of Justin Thomas and Harry Higgs. Higgs loves to laugh and loves to go for the brass ring. See the highligh below for justification. The last five years for Thomas have been fruitless ones, and a pairing with the mellow, goofy Higgs might be just what the gods of golf ordered. My bonus, sixth deck, is the 10:17 pairing of amateurs Miles Russell and Jackson Koivun, for obvious reasons.
