Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth all miss cut at 2018 U.S. Open

Some big names couldn’t navigate Shinnecock Hills’ notoriously tough links.

The notoriously tough course at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club claimed 88 more victims after two rounds of the U.S. Open. Stars like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth all failed to make the cut after two rounds at the famed Southhampton course.

A combination of heavy winds and fast greens destroyed the major hopes of some of the game’s greatest golfers, including three of the world’s top 10 players and 2018’s biggest comeback stories. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Jon Rahm all failed to sneak under the +8 cutline and thus had their tournaments end early.

Dustin Johnson set the pace with a -4 score through two grueling rounds, making him the sole competitor to finish the first 36 holes under par. The next 59 competitors behind him — including ties — all earned the opportunity to compete for the title this weekend. That left a handful of big names on the outside looking in. That list included:

Woods
McIlroy
Spieth
Rahm
and World No. 15 golfer Sergio Garcia

The cut was especially painful for Woods. A series of solid performances leading up to his second major appearance since 2015 built up plenty of hype behind his return to Long Island, but a triple-bogey opening hole Thursday set the tone for a disappointing tournament. While he rallied with two straight birdies to finish his Friday, it wasn’t enough as he finished the Open at +10.

It was similarly rough for Spieth. He’d carded a +8 on Thursday and looked lost after a rough front nine Friday, but four-straight birdies put him in solid position to make the cut. But it wouldn’t last; bogeys on 17 and 18 ended his Open.

Shinnecock Hills also nearly claimed some other big names as well. Phil Mickelson recovered from a +7 Thursday to keep his dream of a career Grand Slam alive. Brandt Snedeker, Tony Finau, Steve Stricker (making his 25th straight cut at a major event), Zach Johnson, and Hideki Matsuyama all finished at +6 or wose.

The lucky 68 to make the cut will return to the course Saturday morning. They’ll all be chasing Johnson, who will be taking the course in the final group after finishing each of his first two days atop the leaderboard.