US Open Day Two Recap and Weekend Preview
By Ryan Andrade
You better get Oakmont now because the 2016 US Open not going to get any easier as we head into the weekend.
The US Open seems destined to cause pain and suffering again. Just look at the leaderboard.
Mother nature has made quite an impact on the 116th US Open at Oakmont. The players practiced on a much different course than the one they encountered Thursday morning. During the practice rounds the course was blazing fast. It was difficult to keep the ball on the green.
Fast forward to Thursday morning. Carefully laid US Open game plans didn’t work. The rains we got the night before the Championship began made the course very receptive. The balls that had been taking big bounces and rolling out were now stopping and backing up. Spin control has been the name of the game so far.
Only the morning wave ever saw the course on Thursday, as play was halted three different times because of lightening. Who would have thought the leader after day one would be the 624th ranked player in the world? Andrew Landry shot a 4-under 66 to climb a top the leaderboard.
As play resumed in the morning, some of the best in the world were looking to try to finish up their opening rounds. Some of those big names in the morning groups were Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Rory McIlroy, and Bubba Watson.
It really isn’t a matter of if Dustin Johnson will win a major – it’s a question of when he’ll do it. He has been so close so many times. Last year, for example, Johnson just let the US Open trophy slip from his fingers.
Could this US Open be a different story for Johnson? The man has just flushed about every ball he has struck. He is so long as well, and he is able to apply more spin into these quick greens. The thing is that Johnson could easily have had about a five shot lead at this point. He has just not been able to make some of the great looks his iron game has been giving him.
Jason Day hasn’t played up to what we all were expecting of him. He shot a 6-over 76 in round one. He just has looked a little uncomfortable on these greens. He is one of the best putters of tour, but Oakmont’s greens can do that to the players. He did burn quite a few edges so he could really be closer to the leaders. He will have quite a bit of work to do, however, to really get back into contention. If anyone can do it though, the world number one is the man.
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Two other players who played very well on Friday were Scott Piercy and Sergio Garcia. Piercy was in contention heading into the weekend at the Masters before faltering a bit on the weekend. Garcia is still looking for his first career major victory at age 36. Much like Dustin Johnson, Sergio has had so many close calls. It might just be his time.
The 2nd round afternoon wave will be teeing off bright and early Saturday morning. No rain is in the forecast the rest of the weekend, so Oakmont will start to firm up and play exactly how the USGA was hoping it would. We’re going to find out what side of the draw had the advantage, as the course is usually more benign in the morning. One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a hell of a weekend and the players will be holding on for dear life at the beast that is Oakmont.
As Cut Day morphs into Moving Day at the US Open the oddsmakers are giving this one to Dustin Johnson, but they’re hedging their best by keeping Jordan Spieth, Lee Westwood, Bubba Watson, and Adam Scott in play. Who’s on your short list?