Latest news and notes from Friday at the U.S. Open

 

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. (AP) – The latest from the U.S. Open (all times PDT):

 

9:10 P.M.: The second round of the U.S. Open is over, and 15 guys can thank Nick Hardy – playing in the final group of the day – for a bogey that will allow them to play this weekend.

 

Hardy had to par the ninth hole to finish at 4 over and make that the cut line. When the amateur two-putted from 25 feet for bogey, the line moved to 5 over.

 

No problem for Hardy, who would have been in either way. But it was monumental for a group also at 5 over that includes Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie, Angel Cabrera, Jimmy Walker, Ian Poulter and Webb Simpson.

 

All told, 75 players made the cut. All are within 10 shots of leaders Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, who are 5 under heading into the weekend.

 

8:45 P.M.: Henrik Stenson criticized the conditions at the U.S. Open but not the course set-up.

 

He left that for Patrick Reed.

 

The co-leader of the U.S. Open called the hole location at the 18th on Friday a "Mickey Mouse location" in part because of its position in the extreme front left, and in part because it came at the end of a 525-yard par 4 that played at a 604-yard par 5 the previous day.

 

He wasn't the only one unhappy. Masters champion Jordan Spieth, who is tied with Reed at 5 under, said it was "the dumbest he has ever played" after a double bogey there.

 

8:30 P.M.: Henrik Stenson lashed out at the condition of Chambers Bay after struggling on the hard, fast and bumpy greens to a 4-over 74 in the second round of the U.S. Open.

 

The Swede compared putting on the greens to "putting on broccoli" or "the surface of the moon." He might have gone on, but said: "If you speak your mind, you're going to get fined. It's just a matter of how much you're going to get fined, so I'd better leave it at that."

 

Stenson said he doesn't think the USGA lost the course or blame the set-up. He was merely irritated by Robert Trent Jones Jr.'s lumpy design and its condition.

 

8:10 P.M.: Masters champion Jordan Spieth will be in the final group on the weekend at the U.S. Open.

 

Trying to become the first player to win the first two legs of the Grand Slam since Tiger Woods, Spieth navigated Chambers Bay on Friday to a 3-under 67. He is 5 under for the championship, tied with Patrick Reed and a shot ahead of Branden Grace and Dustin Johnson.

 

Johnson was the first-round co-leader and had it to 7 under at one point, but he made bogey on three of his last five holes to shoot 71. Grace shot 67.

 

Johnson said the big difference between his first and second rounds was his putting. "When I got into trouble," he said, "I hit good shots and got myself out. Just didn't hole the putts."

 

7:55 P.M.: Phil Mickelson isn't counting himself out of the U.S. Open just yet.

 

After following an opening 1-under 69 with a round of 74 on Friday, the six-time runner-up was eight shots back of the leaders. But that also means Mickelson will go out early on Saturday, when conditions are ripe for scoring, well before the leaders.

 

Trying to complete the career Grand Slam, Mickelson anticipated needing a round in the mid-60s on Saturday to climb into contention.

 

He struggled on the greens Friday, and said after his round: "It's a U.S. Open. It happens. Everyone has to go through a tough spell. I got through mine – well, hopefully my only one, but that's unlikely."

 

7:45 P.M.: Some big names struggled toward the finish on Day 2 of the U.S. Open.

 

First-round co-leader Dustin Johnson got to 7 under for a while, but bogeys at Nos. 14, 17 and 18 dropped him two shots behind leader Patrick Reed.

 

Playing in the same group, Adam Scott also had a bogey at the par-3 17th.

 

Rory McIlroy would have taken a bogey there. Playing in the next group, McIlroy hit his approach shot over the green. His putt from the fairway swale rolled nearly off the front, then his next putt coasted 8 feet past. He missed that for a double bogey.

 

McIlroy had been 1 under on the day and climbing into contention.

 

6:55 P.M.: After succumbing to a bout of dizziness, Jason Day said in a statement issued by his agent that he hopes to play this weekend at the U.S. Open.

 

 

Day was on the par-3 ninth, his final hole, when he toppled over. He managed to finish out the hole and sign his scorecard, and then was taken for medical examination. He was diagnosed with a case of vertigo, an issue that Day has dealt with in the past.

 

Day is in contention at 2 under for the championship.

 

"His condition is being monitored closely and he is hopeful he will be able to compete this weekend in the final rounds of the U.S. Open," his agent Bud Martin said. "He wants to thank all who treated him at the Franciscan Medical Group and thank all of the fans and friends who have reached out to he and his family."

 

6:20 P.M.: Jason Day is hardly the only Australian on the leaderboard at the U.S. Open.

 

There are the other usual big names, such as Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, within striking distance of the lead. Then there is the less-well-known, 21-year-old Cameron Smith, who posted back-to-back rounds of even-par 70 to ensure he'll be playing on the weekend.

 

Smith has played mostly in Asia along with making a few Web.com Tour starts, but is certainly making the most of his first appearance in the U.S. Open.

 

"I just treat it as another tournament," he insisted Friday afternoon. "I think once you get in the zone, it doesn't really matter."

 

5:45 P.M.: Patrick Reed is in contention at the U.S. Open after making three birdies on the front nine Friday in his second round.

 

Reed, who was at 5 under and tied for second, is one of the more colorful figures on the PGA Tour. The four-time winner is endearing at times, but he also has rubbed people the wrong way.

 

At least year's Ryder Cup, he gave the Scottish crowd the "shush" sign during a match with Henrik Stenson. Later, he was caught on live TV using a homophobic slur.

 

He was kicked off his college team at Georgia, but exacted some revenge of sorts when he transferred to Augusta State. He helped the school win two national championships, the second of them coming in 2011 against – you guessed it, the Bulldogs.

 

4:45 P.M.: So much for the feel-good story of Ryan Moore coming home and contending for his first major.

 

He will be a spectator for the weekend.

 

Moore shot a 74 on Friday and finished his two days at 9 over. The native of Puyallup, Washington, just a few miles from Chambers Bay, made bogey on four of the first five holes to start his second nine.

 

The back half of Moore's round was a problem both days. In the first round on Thursday, Moore made a pair of double bogeys during his back nine.

 

"I'm disappointed with how I played," Moore said. "I would be lying if I said I felt great coming into this week. I tried getting out there, getting a lot of time on the golf course, getting comfortable with it. This course does not set up all that well for me."

 

Moore tied for 10th in 2009 at Bethpage, his highest finish ever at the U.S. Open. Moore has now missed the cut in five of his nine U.S. Opens.

 

4:15 P.M.: The U.S. Open's new TV deal boosted its viewership for the first round.

 

The 11 hours of live coverage on Fox Sports 1 and Fox on Thursday averaged 2 million viewers. That's the most since the 2002 tournament at Bethpage.

 

The last time the Open was on the West Coast, which allows for part of the round to be played in prime time in much of the country, Thursday's coverage averaged 1.8 million viewers between ESPN and NBC. Coverage aired on ESPN from 12:00-3:00 p.m. and 5:00-10:00 p.m. EDT and from 3:00-5:00 p.m. on NBC that day.

 

This year, the Open was on FS1 from 12:00-8:00 p.m. and on Fox from 8:00-11:00 p.m.

 

3:50 P.M.: Jason Day's agent has released a statement regarding Day's collapse at the end of his round on Friday.

 

 

"Jason is being treated on site at Chambers Bay, after feeling dizzy near the end of his round," Day's agent Bud Martin said. "We will provide more information later today after getting through the medical evaluation process. Jason wants to express his appreciation for all the good wishes from so many fans and friends."

 

Day fell while walking to his last hole of the second round. The three-time PGA Tour winner has been dealing with symptoms of vertigo for a while.

 

Day was walking toward his ball in the bunker of the par-3 ninth hole when he fell to his left, his head hitting hard. The crowd gasped as the Australian lay motionless.

 

He was tended to by medical staff for several minutes before getting up a bit shakily. He chose to continue his round, splashing out of the bunker before two-putting for bogey.

 

3:15 P.M.: Jordan Spieth would prefer if the 18th at Chambers Bay was never again played as a par 4.

 

Spieth knows he must get past that anger. It's likely to be a par 4 again sometime this weekend.

 

Spieth's one major mistake on Friday was a double bogey on the 18th – his ninth hole of the day – during his round of 67. His problem with the hole as a par 4, which played at 514 yards, was the narrow landing area on the drive unless you can carry the tee shot around 300 yards.

 

"If it's going to be a par 4 and you're going to bring that other bunker into play, I think the tee should have been moved up more. But I'm not the one that's putting the course together," Spieth said. "I just didn't know where I could hit that tee shot."

 

2:50 P.M.: As the second wave of players hit the course at Chambers Bay, those hovering just over par were suddenly very wary of the cut line to play the weekend at the U.S. Open.

 

The line was 3 over as the morning rounds finished, but that could climb a bit depending on how things go in the afternoon. The course played far tougher later in the day during the opening round as the greens became firm and the breeze picked up.

 

Tiger Woods doesn't have to worry about the cut line. At 16 over, he is assured of missing it for only the fifth time in a major championship as a professional.

 

"On a golf course like this, you get exposed," Woods said, "and you have to be precise and dialed in. And obviously I didn't have that."

 

2:25 P.M.: Jordan Spieth is in the lead and Tiger Woods is headed home, while nobody is certain whether Jason Day will be able to continue this weekend at the U.S. Open.

 

Spieth shot 3-under 67 to reach 5 under for the championship on Friday. The Masters champ had a few shaky moments toward the end before a birdie at the par-3 ninth, his finishing hole.

 

Woods followed his 10-over 80 in the opening round, his worst score ever in a U.S. Open, with a 6-over 76 on Friday. At the time, he was 21 shots off the lead.

 

Day, meanwhile, was still receiving medical attention after he was overcome by dizziness and collapsed on his final hole. He managed to finish and was three off the lead, but it was unknown whether the popular Australian will be able to tee off Saturday.

 

1:50 P.M.: Jason Day fell while walking to his last hole of the second round of the U.S. Open Thursday, apparently overcome by dizziness.

 

The three-time PGA Tour winner has been dealing with symptoms of vertigo for a while.

 

Day was walking toward his ball in the bunker of the par-3 ninth hole when he fell to his left, his head hitting hard. The crowd gasped as the Australian lay motionless.

 

He was tended to by medical staff for several minutes before getting up a bit shakily. He chose to continue his round, splashing out of the bunker before two-putting for bogey.

 

He was even for the day and 2 under for the tournament, tied for 11th.

 

Day was then taken in a cart to sign his scorecard before getting more medical attention.

 

1:30 P.M.: Colin Montgomerie figures Mike Davis is getting his revenge.

 

After several players posted low scores in the opening round of the U.S. Open, the USGA official in charge of setting up Chambers Bay ramped up the difficulty. While there were still birdies to be found Friday, it took a little bit of looking.

 

Lots of guts and a little bit of luck, too.

 

"Mike Davis wasn't happy with 5 unders," Montgomerie said before starting his second round.

 

The USGA prefers par to be a good score. So, Davis moved the tees back a bit to lengthen the course Friday. He also made many of the hole locations less forgiving.

 

The result was a tough course that will get only tougher.

 

1:00 P.M.: Jamie Lovemark expects Chambers Bay to toughen up again Friday afternoon.

 

Lovemark followed his even-par 70 in the opening round of the U.S. Open with a 68 to move into contention. He took advantage of cool temperatures, little breeze and receptive greens to shoot 3-under 33 on the front before a late bogey left him 2 under.

 

By the time he finished, the sun had come out and temperature was climbing – "We have two climates, basically," Lovemark said. And while the wind still had not picked up, the course was nonetheless beginning to feel like concrete.

 

That should make things interesting for first-round leaders Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, who shot 65 in the easier morning conditions on Thursday.

 

12:25 P.M.: Chambers Bay was not built with pedestrian access as a priority.

 

The USGA is hearing about it, too.

 

Fans have been grumbling the first two days of the U.S. Open about the difficulty in following groups. But the USGA says the unique dunes and slick fescue has made safety more important than good vantage points.

 

Championship Director Danny Sink said Friday the USGA is attempting to make adjustments on the fly, but safety will remain the priority. It's also why there are 18,000 bleacher seats.

 

"We're not going to sacrifice safety to give our spectators more shots, more angles, more views," Sink said. "We've been conservative and we've made sure people are not going in places where they are going to fall down and get hurt."

 

12:15 P.M.: Joe Buck and Greg Norman anchoring U.S. Open coverage for Fox caused plenty of headlines, but the "featured group" coverage team has stolen the show.

 

Led by Tim Brando with analysis from Mark Brooks, Buddy Marucci and Natalie Gulbis, the team has followed one group each day. On Friday, it was Jason Day, Jordan Spieth and Justin Rose.

 

Couple of the gems from the second round?

 

Brando was pondering the role of caddies when he asked Brooks, a former major winner, how much he relied on his. Brooks replied, "Depends how much he'd been drinking."

 

Later, Jason Day had a poor lie in a fairway bunker. The prudent shot was to punch out, but Brooks astutely observed that egos often override logic when he deadpanned, "These guys aren't very good at pitching out."

 

Day wound up going for the green. He found another bunker.

 

11:55 A.M.: Give Rickie Fowler credit for taking his struggles in stride.

 

The winner of The Players Championship arrived at Chambers Bay for his early tee time in Friday's second round dressed head to toe in royal blue. He was standing near the practice green when Masters champion Jordan Spieth approached him.

 

"Why are you blue?" Spieth asked, innocently.

 

Fowler looked at him and replied, "I shot 81."

 

The young friends both laughed before finishing their warmup for the second round.

 

11:45 A.M.: Daniel Summerhays and Tony Finau are posting two of Friday's best rounds at the U.S. Open.

 

Never heard of them? You're probably not from Utah.

 

Summerhays, the nephew of longtime Champions Tour player Bruce Summerhays, grew up in the town of Fruit Heights. Finau grew up in the Rose Park area of Salt Lake City. Both have put down roots in their home state, too.

 

That's not their only connection, either. Finau's coach is Summerhays's brother, Boyd.

 

Summerhays shot an even-par 70 in the opening round, and was 4 under Friday after two birdies to start his second nine. Finau shot 69 on Thursday and had reached 2 under.

 

11:15 A.M.: Jason Day made quite the birdie to start his second nine in the U.S. Open.

 

After making the turn in 1 under, Day hit his approach into a greenside bunker at the par-5 first hole. He had a simple lie but hit it much too hard, and the ball picked up speed only as it rolled past the hole and down a steep bank, finally stopping 50 yards away.

 

Day promptly holed his pitch from there, tossing his club in the air with a smile.

 

As fans in the grandstand roared their approval, the popular Australian plucked his ball out of the hole and chucked it into the crowd.

 

10:55 A.M.: Chambers Bay finally bit back at Jordan Spieth.

 

After making three birdies on his first eight holes to take the U.S. Open lead Friday, the Masters champ hit into a fairway bunker at the long par-4 18th.

 

Aggressively trying to reach the green, Spieth played a long iron that didn't have enough loft to get over the bunker's lip. The ball squirted ahead and to the right, nestling into ankle-high fescue. His next shot scooted across the fairway and into a greenside bunker.

 

With about 6,000 fans watching in the massive grandstand, Spieth's usually calm demeanor seemed to crack. He wound up with a two-putt double bogey to drop from the lead.

 

10:20 A.M.: Amateur Brian Campbell briefly moved into a tie for the lead at the U.S. Open on Friday.

 

The accompanying roar was probably from the folks at the USGA.

 

The caretaker of the sport in the U.S. has always sought to highlight amateurism in its national championship. It is part of the reason there are fewer exemptions than in other major championships, including the British Open, and more opportunities to qualify.

 

Campbell has done exactly that the past two years. The University of Illinois standout missed the cut by a shot last year at Pinehurst, but had two early birdies and was 5 under Friday before dropping a shot at the par-4 fourth.

 

Asked whether he thinks an amateur can actually win, Campbell replied: "I think so, yeah. I'm up there and definitely have the game to do what needs to be done."

 

9:45 A.M.: Fitness could play a role in the U.S. Open by Sunday.

 

Players and their caddies walked about nine miles in the opening round on Thursday, and they weren't exactly the kind of miles you might find on a traditionally flat links course.

 

There's the long climb to the green at No. 4, and a similar hike at No. 13. From the lowest point on the course, the 17th green hard against Puget Sound, to the highest point near the sixth tee, there is more than 200 feet in elevation change.

 

That's about half the height of the Space Needle in nearby Seattle.

 

Justin Rose conceded that "it's a long golf course" after his opening round.

 

9:30 A.M.: The toughest hole at Chambers Bay is the 515-yard, par-4 seventh, which has tall fescue to the left, a wide waste bunker on the right and an uphill climb to the green.

 

Jamie Lovemark figured out a way to solve it Friday.

 

Lovemark hit his approach into the greenside bunker, splashed out and watched his ball trickle into the hole for a rare birdie – there were just 11 of them at No. 7 on Thursday.

 

That moved Lovemark to 2 under after his even-par 70 in the opening round.

 

Tiger Woods continues to struggle with his game. He made bogey at the par-4 10th, his first hole of the day. Playing partner Rickie Fowler is also off to another rough start.

 

9:05 A.M.: Get ready for another long, long day at the U.S. Open.

 

It is almost inevitable at the national championship, considering the size of the 156-player field and its typically brutal conditions. But rounds stretched more than 5 1/2 hours on Thursday for a number of reasons unique to Chambers Bay.

 

Some players stopped entirely while trains clattered by on the tracks lining two holes on the back side. There are long hikes between holes. Tall fescue can envelope wayward shots.

 

Then there is the layout itself. On Friday, the grouping of Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Justin Rose had to wait about 15 minutes on the par-4 12th, their third hole of the day, for the green to clear because of its drivable distance.

 

All of which makes patience a virtue at the U.S. Open.

 

8:45 A.M.: Much of the focus at the U.S. Open this week has been on golf's latest generation, the 20-something stars such as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.

 

Turns out the geriatric generation is having its say.

 

Colin Montgomerie, who turns 52 next week, opened with a 1-under 69. So did 51-year-old Miguel Angel Jimenez, whose bizarre stretching regimen sure seems to be paying off.

 

Jimenez finished second in the U.S. Open in 2000, when Spieth was 6 years old.

 

Two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, who turns 51 in August, was medalist in his qualifier in Purchase, New York. He shot 73 in the opening round.

 

When asked whether he had any doubts about competing, Janzen replied: "Like, why would I try and qualify for an 8,000-yard golf course, because I'm playing with old guys now?"

 

This week, playing with the old guys isn't such a slight.

 

8:05 A.M.: It is commonplace for big names to play together, particularly at majors. It makes it easier for fans on the course to see the stars and it helps simplify the television broadcast.

 

Players also tend to feed off one another.

 

So, you get Masters champion Jordan Spieth playing with Jason Day and Justin Rose at the U.S. Open, all in a group just ahead of Tiger Woods, Rickie Fowler and Louis Oosthuizen.

 

Those two groups could not have been more different Thursday.

 

Spieth, Day and Rose certainly fed off each other, a combined 2 under in the tough afternoon conditions. Woods, Fowler and Oosthuizen also fed off each other – to the tune of 28 over.

 

7:30 A.M.: Let's hope Robert Streb knows where he's going.

 

When he showed up Sunday, he wasn't aware of a back tee on No. 1 that allows it to be played as a par 5. That's the case for the second round Friday.

 

The USGA has switched the par on two holes – No. 1 will be a par 5 that likely will feature a blind shot into the green for those who try to reach in two. No. 18 goes from a par 5 to a par 4.

 

Either way, Chambers Bay remains a par 70.

 

The first hole will be about 600 yards on Friday (it was 501 yards on Thursday). The closing hole will be about 525 yards for the second round. It was 617 yards on Thursday and reachable by most players – Tiger Woods was an exception.

 

7:00 A.M.: With winds at a standstill and a slight mist rolling off Puget Sound, the second round of the U.S. Open got underway at Chambers Bay just south of Seattle on Friday.

 

Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson had the lead at 5 under after the opening round, though both of them played in the morning Thursday. The wind kicked up, greens hardened and conditions changed dramatically by the time the second wave teed off in the afternoon.

 

Will they have their chance to go low going off early in Round 2?

 

Better question: Will Tiger Woods rebound from his 10-over 80, an opening round that saw him send a club boomeranging into the fescue (an accident), top a fairway metal into a bunker and in general look like a 20-handicap hacker much of the afternoon?

 

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