New Zealander Ryan Fox hits an approach shot on the 11th hole during the second round of the 125th US Open, at Oakmont Country Club on Friday 13 June, in Pennsylvania. Photo: ROSS KINNAIRD
New Zealand golfer Ryan Fox has endured an up-and-down day but has comfortably made the cut at the US Open after the second round Oakmont in Pennsylvania.
Sam Burns, the American who Fox beat in a playoff for the Canadian Open title last Monday, leads the field by one shot at 3-under from first round leader JJ Spaum, with Victor Hovland a further stroke back. They are the only players under par for the tournament after another tough day on the challenging course.
Fox shot a second round 73 to be 5-over, in a tie for 36th place.
Fox won the Canadian Open, his second PGA title after winning his first just over a month ago, on 11 May at the Myrtle Beach Classic] in South Carolina. He beat Burns in Canada on the fourth playoff hole.
At Oakmont, starting on the back nine, six shots off the lead, Fox started superbly with a birdie at the par four tenth, but quickly gave the advantage back, by dropping a shot at the 11th.
Two more birdies were to follow as he completed his first nine holes, at the par-three 13th and the par-four 15th, but these were countered by bogeys the 14th and 18th.
The front nine proved tougher for Fox, as wasn't able to secure any birdies.
Bogeys at the first, second and sixth holes saw him finish with a three over 75, and dropped him back to five-over for the tournament.
Burns posts lowest round
Burns fired a 5-under-par 65, the lowest round of the week so far, Reuters reported.
He had six birdies, one bogey and a key par save at his final hole to wrap up the low round. When he headed to the clubhouse at 3 under, he was one off the lead.
"I played really well (Thursday) other than the finishing holes," Burns said. "So I think today was just kind of getting mentally ready to come out and try to put a good round together. I feel like I've been playing well coming off last week and into this week and my round (Friday. Really just trying to get yourself in position out here and give yourself as many looks as you can."
Spaun followed the eighth bogey-free round at Oakmont in US history with six bogeys on Saturday, but he managed a 2-over 72 and settled into second place at 2 under for the championship.
Norway's Hovland was the only other player in red figures at 1 under. He posted a 68 in the morning wave. Australia's Adam Scott carded his second straight 70 to stay at even par, tied with Ben Griffin.
Rory McIlroy made two double bogeys over his first three holes and appeared to be headed for disaster. But he steadied out from there and played 2-under for the rest of the round, including a crucial birdie at No 18 that ensured the Northern Irishman would make the cut at 6 over.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler had an adventurous 71 - five bogeys, four birdies - and is 4 over, but defending champion Bryson DeChambeau (10 over), 2016 Oakmont champion Dustin Johnson (10 over), Justin Thomas (12 over) and Irishman Shane Lowry (17 over) have missed the cut.
Perez aces hole-in-one
Meanwhile, Frenchman Victor Perez has carded the first hole-in-one at this year's tournament, aceing the par-3 sixth.
Perez's ace was the first in a US Open at the Oakmont Country Club since Scott Simpson accomplished the feat in 1983 during the first round at the par-3 16th hole.
Victor Perez of France plays his shot from the third tee during the second round of the 125th US Open, at Oakmont Country Club on Friday, in Pennsylvania. Photo: GREGORY SHAMUS
Taking aim at the 192-yard hole, Perez used his seven-iron to fire a shot that landed approximately 15 feet (4.5m) short of the cup. The ball bounced three times on the green before curling into the hole.
Perez, 32, raised his arms in the air and chest-bumped his caddie James Erkenbeck.
The ace was the first on the PGA Tour for Perez and the 54th in US Open history.
Perez, ranked 99th in the world and a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, shot even-par 70 for the second round and resides at 1-over for the tournament.
- RNZ Sport/Reuters
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