DeChambeau missed the cut by one stroke, Clark took control of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills
Bryson DeChambeau ended his appearance at the 2026 U.S. Open after only the second round, and by just one stroke. According to the officially confirmed cut line, players at four strokes over par or better advanced to the final two rounds, while DeChambeau remained at +5 after 36 holes. That made one of the most recognizable players in modern golf the biggest name among those who will not play over the weekend at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, in the U.S. state of New York. His elimination drew particular attention because he is a two-time U.S. Open champion, a player who in recent years has regularly been at the center of debates about power, strategy and changes in professional golf. At the moment when the tournament reached its halfway point, however, the story shifted from DeChambeau's failure to the player who made the most of Shinnecock's demands: Wyndham Clark.
According to the published standings after the second round, Clark reached a total of seven strokes under par at the halfway point of the tournament. CBS Sports, in its updated leaderboard, states that the American opened the tournament with a round of 64 and then added a 69 on Friday for a total of 133 strokes. That performance gave him a four-stroke lead over a group of pursuers that includes Matt Fitzpatrick, Xander Schauffele, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim, all at -3. The U.S. Open is being played from June 18 to 21, 2026, and Saturday's third round should show whether Clark can turn a strong start into a realistic bid for a second title at this major. After 36 holes, he has an advantage that is significant in golf, but on a course like this it is not unreachable for his rivals.
The cut at +4 eliminated a series of big names
The most important threshold of the second round was the cut at +4. NBC Sports reported that the line was officially confirmed after play ended on Friday, while Bleacher Report states that 72 players continued the competition over the weekend. DeChambeau remained just outside that line, which makes his exit even more painful: one missed putt, one poorly played hole or one wrong club choice was enough to separate continuing the tournament from an early departure. The U.S. Open traditionally does not forgive long stretches of inaccuracy, and Shinnecock Hills again showed in this edition that it punishes small mistakes just as severely as big collapses. In that context, DeChambeau's +5 was not a disastrous number in absolute terms, but it was exactly bad enough to keep him out of the final two rounds.
DeChambeau was not the only major loser on Friday. Golf Digest states that Jon Rahm at +6, Viktor Hovland at +5, Patrick Cantlay at +6, Shane Lowry at +6 and Cameron Smith at +6 also missed the cut, confirming the breadth of the list of favorites who did not find enough stability in the first two days. Among those eliminated, according to the same source, were also defending champion J.J. Spaun at +8, Brooks Koepka at +10, Patrick Reed at +5, Adam Scott at +8 and Rickie Fowler at +5. Such an outcome shows that the tournament did not merely separate the leaders from the chasers, but had already eliminated several players with major-winning experience by Friday. For the spectators, that means a weekend without several of the best-known names, but for the leaderboard it opens space for players who better controlled the damage in the most difficult parts of the course.
Rahm's exit is one of the most striking twists of the first 36 holes. Golf Digest writes that after an opening round of 68, the Spaniard looked like a player who could join the fight at the top, but in the second round he fell to 78 and finished at +6. The same source states that on Friday he made only one birdie and lost six strokes in a five-hole stretch on the second half of the course. In the context of his reputation, form and status as one of the favorites before the tournament, such a collapse further emphasizes how quickly Shinnecock Hills can change the course of a competition. Rahm, DeChambeau and Koepka together represent a significant part of the more recent history of the U.S. Open, but none of them managed to survive the cut this year. It is also a reminder that at this major, previous titles offer no protection from current mistakes.
DeChambeau's fall after an encouraging start
DeChambeau's tournament had a different dynamic from an ordinary poor performance. NBC Sports states that after Thursday he still had reason for optimism, because for the first time in 2026 he was under par at a major tournament and drew attention with an exceptionally long tee shot. But on Friday the mood changed: according to the same report, he spoiled the end of the first round with a bogey, and then in the second round recorded a 75, with two consecutive double bogeys that pushed him toward the wrong side of the cut. He tried to stay in contention until the end, but the final score of +5 was one stroke too many. The U.S. Open rarely leaves room for later repairs of major mistakes, especially when they happen in a sequence.
This outcome also has a broader sporting context. NBC Sports states that this would be DeChambeau's third consecutive missed cut at major tournaments, which is an unusual period of instability for a player of his level. Golf Digest also points out that he missed the first three major cuts of the season, further strengthening the impression that his style of play is currently not producing the expected combination of aggression and control. DeChambeau built his career on a different approach to golf, relying on length, analytics and the ability to reshape the way individual holes are played. At Shinnecock, however, power alone was not enough. The course demanded precision from him on approach shots, composure on the greens and the ability to stop a negative run immediately after a mistake, and those were exactly the elements that were missing on Friday.
His elimination means not only the loss of a chance at the title, but also the loss of competitive rhythm in the major season. Unlike regular tournaments, majors carry greater weight in assessing the form of the best players, because they are played under more demanding setups and greater pressure. DeChambeau has already shown that he can win on the toughest stage, but the result at Shinnecock confirms that in golf the difference between a title contender and a player outside the cut can come down to a few holes. His game remains attractive and dangerous, but this U.S. Open showed that a return to the top of the major standings will require more stability from the beginning to the end of rounds. For a player who often enters tournaments with great expectations, finishing on Friday will be one of the more difficult results of the season.
Clark's 133 and a record halfway mark
While the favorites were fighting with the cut, Wyndham Clark created the strongest position on the leaderboard. NBC Sports reported that his scores of 64 and 69 are the best 36-hole result at a U.S. Open played at Shinnecock Hills. That is an important fact because this is not a course known for low scores, but a venue where patience, putting control and the ability to accept bogey as part of the strategy have historically been valued. Clark is already the 2023 U.S. Open champion, so his play over the first two days is not surprising in terms of quality, but it is impressive because of the way he separated himself from the rest of the field. On Friday, he did not have to repeat his explosive first round; it was enough to play under par and maintain the gap.
Clark's four-stroke lead puts him in the position of clear favorite, but also under a different kind of pressure. At the U.S. Open, a lead often requires a more defensive approach than at tournaments where victory is sought by constantly attacking the flags. If conditions become firmer and the wind strengthens, the player in the lead must decide how much risk he can accept without opening the door to the pursuers. CBS Sports states that the closest challengers are Fitzpatrick, Schauffele, Stevens and Tom Kim at a total of 137 strokes, which means that each of them could change the dynamic of the tournament already in the third round with one run of birdies or a weaker stretch from Clark. Still, the lead after 36 holes gives Clark the right to control the tempo and force the others to attack.
At the top of the standings there are also players who can profit if the tournament turns into a demanding battle for par. According to the CBS Sports leaderboard, Collin Morikawa is at -2 after a second-round 65, one of the strongest moves of the day and a result that puts him back into serious conversation near the top. Scottie Scheffler is at even par after rounds of 72 and 68, while Rory McIlroy, according to NBC Sports' report, remained close enough that he cannot be written off before the weekend. At the U.S. Open, a gap of seven strokes can seem large, but the history of this tournament's pressure points often shows that one difficult day for the leader changes everything. Clark is therefore in the best position, but not in the position of a certain winner.
Shinnecock Hills as a test of patience and control
According to official USGA information, the 2026 U.S. Open is being played at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club from June 18 to 21, in a field of 156 competitors. In its tournament preview, the USGA states that the course is set up as a par 70, with a length of 7,440 yards, and that 10,201 entries were accepted for the championship, only one fewer than the record from 2025. These figures show the scale of the competition: the U.S. Open remains one of the most broadly open, but also most difficult championships in golf, because through its qualifying system it brings together professionals and amateurs from different golfing environments. The official rules allow professionals and amateurs whose handicap index does not exceed the set threshold to take part, but entering the main tournament requires passing through dense selection. When such a field arrives at Shinnecock, the difference between the best and the rest is often seen only through the ability to survive bad moments.
Shinnecock Hills has a special place in U.S. Open history. The USGA states that the club hosted the championship in 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004 and 2018, and the 2026 edition further strengthens its status as one of the most important venues in American golf. The historical list of winners on that course includes James Foulis, Raymond Floyd, Corey Pavin, Retief Goosen and Brooks Koepka, illustrating the different styles of play that have been able to win there. Still, the common denominator of all successful performances at Shinnecock has always been the same: accepting difficult conditions and avoiding big numbers on the scorecard. It was precisely big numbers that cost some of the best-known players on Friday, from DeChambeau's double bogeys to Rahm's lost stretch on the second half of the round.
For organizers, it is also important that after two rounds the discussion is about a sporting test, not merely about unfair conditions. Golf Digest assesses that in the first two days Shinnecock identified quality play and strong players, with several major champions among the best placed. That is important in the context of the U.S. Open's reputation, as it often walks a fine line between a difficult and an overly punishing course setup. This time, the results show a dual picture: the best players were able to go under par, but mistakes quickly pushed players outside the cut. Clark's -7 and DeChambeau's +5 are not just two numbers on the leaderboard, but two examples of the same test with completely different outcomes.
The weekend brings a title battle and a test for the leader
Saturday, June 20, 2026, opens the second half of the tournament with a clear main question: can Wyndham Clark maintain control over the U.S. Open or will Shinnecock Hills turn the leaderboard upside down again? According to the schedule published by the USGA, the third round is played on Saturday and the final round on Sunday, June 21. Clark will start with a lead that allows him a certain tactical reserve, but the pursuers have enough quality to force him to respond. Fitzpatrick has experience winning the U.S. Open, Schauffele is among the most consistent players at major tournaments, Tom Kim brings an aggressive rhythm, and Sam Stevens has already shown that he is not afraid of the top of the leaderboard. With Morikawa, Scheffler and McIlroy in the wider circle of contenders, the weekend does not depend only on Clark's score, but also on who will be the first to find a round that changes the pressure.
For the eliminated favorites, the story ended earlier than they expected. DeChambeau, Rahm, Hovland, Cantlay, Lowry and Smith will not have a chance to improve the impression over the weekend, and their exits leave a clear message about the difficulty of the tournament. This year as well, the U.S. Open has shown that status, previous titles and expectations are worth little if the first two days do not bring enough control. For Clark, the same lesson has turned in a positive direction: after two rounds he is the player who best combined attack and caution, and now he must prove that he can repeat it under the pressure of leading. Shinnecock Hills closed the door on big names on Friday, but at the same time opened the stage for a weekend in which it will be seen whether Clark's advantage is the beginning of a runaway lead or just the next target of a demanding U.S. Open.
Sources:
- USGA – official facts about the 2026 U.S. Open, location, dates, player field, course length and the history of Shinnecock Hills (link)
- USGA – official 2026 U.S. Open leaderboard at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (link)
- CBS Sports – updated leaderboard after the second round, standings of the leaders and basic tournament information (link)
- NBC Sports – live report and summary of the second round, official cut, Clark's record 36-hole result and DeChambeau's Friday (link)
- Golf Digest – overview of well-known players who missed the cut, including DeChambeau, Rahm, Hovland, Cantlay, Lowry and Smith (link)
- Bleacher Report – confirmation of the number of players who advanced to the weekend and basic overview of the cut line after the second round (link)