Tiger Woods began his second round on the cutline at the 2021 U.S. Open, hoping to secure his spot for the weekend. While players like Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, and Ludvig Aberg managed to keep their scores in the red numbers, not everyone found success at Pinehurst No. 2.
During Thursday’s opening round, only 15 players were able to break par, with the scoring average being more than three strokes over par. As the players headed into Round 2, many were at risk of missing the cut.
The U.S. Open cutline is set at the top 60 players, including ties, after 36 holes. This is stricter compared to other major championships like the PGA Championship and the Open Championship, which take the top 70 players and ties. The Masters, with a limited field, cuts at the top 50 players and ties.
After a back-and-forth afternoon, the cutline was finalized at five over par. Unfortunately, some big-name stars, including Tiger Woods, will not be competing over the weekend. Woods, a three-time U.S. Open champion, started the day on the cutline and managed to birdie early on to get to three over. However, he struggled for the rest of the round, finishing with a three-over 73 and missing the cut by two shots.
Alongside Woods, other notable players who missed the cut include Max Homa, Viktor Hovland, Will Zalatoris, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, and Phil Mickelson.
The competition at the U.S. Open remains fierce, with players battling Pinehurst No. 2 to make their mark on the leaderboard. As the tournament progresses, golf fans can expect more excitement and surprises from the remaining field of players.