Playing “old-man par golf”, Adam Scott is eyeing US Open glory after storming into rivalry as a raft of heavyweights floundered all over the second one around in Pennsylvania.
While protecting champion Bryson DeChambeau led the exodus of huge names to omit the midway lower, Scott carved out a moment instantly even-par around of 70 on the beastly Oakmont Country Club to be tied fourth on the midway mark.
Contesting his 96th consecutive main, 44-year-old Scott confirmed the younger superstars the best way to play main championship golfing, hitting fairway after fairway to lurk simply 3 pictures off the tempo.
“I would have expected to be in this position if you said even par through two rounds,” stated Australia’s former international No.1.
“It’s just hard out there. I’m playing old-man par golf at the moment. For most of the first two days, I’ve been in the fairway off the tee, and therefore there hasn’t been too much stress in the rounds.”
Sam Burns fired the low around of the championship, an excellent five-under 65 to snare the second-round lead at 3 beneath.
Fellow American and first-round pacesetter JJ Spaun is moment, one stroke at the back of Burns, after following up his beginning 66 with a 72 on Friday (Saturday AEST).
Seeking his maiden main, Norwegian tremendous skill Viktor Hovland is the one different participant above Scott at the leaderboard and one in every of simply 3 in purple numbers at one beneath following a second-round 70.
Scott’s fellow former international No.1 Jason Day battled again into the image with the second-lowest around of the day to additionally elevate hopes of a well-known Australian triumph at america Open’s maximum gruelling venue.
Former PGA champ Day used to be manner off the tempo after his opening around of 76 however demonstrated his enduring elegance with a three-under 67 to get again to a few over for the event, simply six pictures again getting into the weekend in a tie for 12th with five-time main winner and twin US Open champ Brooks Koepka (74).
Burns, who shot a final-round 62 on Sunday on the Canadian Open ahead of dropping in a play-off, additionally began his moment around at the again 9 and birdied 11, 13, 17 and 18.
He answered to his lone bogey on the first hollow through striking his means on the subsequent hollow to about six ft.
American international No.1 Scottie Scheffler had 5 bogeys and 4 birdies in his 71 to be left at 4 over, along countryman Collin Morikawa (71) and fellow twin main winner Jon Rahm, who exploded after taking pictures a 75.
The second-round spoiler left the celebrity Spaniard seven pictures adrift of Burns.
“Honestly, I’m too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective,” Rahm stated.
“Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn’t sniff the hole, so it’s frustrating.”
Masters champion Rory McIlroy birdied the final hollow in a around of 72 to be six beneath and simply within the lower line.
Marc Leishman may be six over after a 75, with Cam Davis, one shot additional again after a 73, the one different Australian set to make the lower.
Scott has a long way larger objectives than surviving the lower.
“I’d be pretty proud of winning this thing on the weekend,” stated the 2013 Masters champ.
“Right now, that’s really what I’m here to do … I definitely feel more confident than I have been this year. This is what I’ve been working towards.
“I was in the mix late at the PGA, and now kind of putting myself in this one for the weekend. It’s a long way to go, but I feel like my game is in good enough shape to do this.”
But after out-duelling McIlroy down the stretch to reign final 12 months at Pinehurst, DeChambeau received’t function at the weekend after slumping to 10 over with a second-round 77.
At 9 over following rounds of 77 and 72, Australian Min Woo Lee used to be additionally despatched packing, in conjunction with twin main winner Justin Thomas, 2016 Oakmont champion Dustin Johnson, fellow former international No.1 Justin Rose, LIV Golf dominator Joaquin Niemann and Swedish sensation Ludvig Aberg.
© AAP