Rickie Fowler is too cool for pars.
The second-round leader of the U.S. Open shot a roller-coaster, 2-under-par 68 with eight birdies, six bogeys and just four pars on Friday at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Fowler has piled up 18 birdies and eight bogeys through two rounds to shoot 10-under 130, tying Martin Kaymer of Germany (2014) for the lowest 36-hole score at a U.S. Open. The 18 birdies are a 36-hole event record.
LACC’s North Course showed some more fight after Fowler and Xander Schauffele carded the first two rounds of 62 in U.S. Open history on Thursday, but Friday still featured its share of under-par rounds.
Fowler is one shot ahead of Wyndham Clark, who posted a 3-under 67 to move to 9 under. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland ended his round on a birdie spree to also shoot 67. He is tied for third at 8 under with Schauffele, who shot 70.
Harris English posted a 66 to move into fifth at 7 under. Australia’s Min Woo Lee shot the round of the day, a 5-under 65, to tie Dustin Johnson (70) at 6 under.
Five of those top seven players have never won a major, including Fowler. After two years of not qualifying for the U.S. Open as he worked through a career lull, Fowler was humble about sitting at the top.
“I sure hope everyone can relate to struggles because everyone deals with them,” Fowler said. “No one’s perfect. I think you’d be lying if you haven’t been through a tough time, especially if you play golf.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good in a tournament, let alone a major. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Fowler was dialed in with his irons and wedges, as he got within 6, 6 1/2 and 3 feet of the first three pins to open with three birdies and shoot to 11 under. He bogeyed the first two par-3s, Nos. 4 and 7, but added birdies at Nos. 6 and 8.
Wayward tee shots led to bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11, though Fowler bounced back at the par-4 12th with an 18-foot birdie putt. He recovered from two more bogeys with 7-foot birdies at the short par-3 15th and the par-4 17th.
“The birdies are out there if you put yourself in the right position,” Fowler said, “but as you can see, bogeys are very easy to make.”
Clark went out in the morning wave and held sole possession of the lead for part of the day. He started on the back nine and took the solo lead for the first time when he made his third birdie of the day, a 45-foot uphill putt at the par-4 16th.
Clark has risen to No. 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking after earning his first career PGA Tour win last month, at the Wells Fargo Championship. He spoke Friday about his mother, who died 10 years ago, and said she inspired him to play for something “bigger than yourself.”
“I was walking down (Thursday) and I kind of was just smiling as I was playing well,” Clark said, “and I go, ‘Man, I wish you could be here, Mom,’ because it’s a dream come true to be doing this at the highest level in front of friends and family that are out here.”
McIlroy recovered from a 2-over back nine by coming to the more scorable front and posting a 5-under 30, with birdies on four of his last five holes. He got a 22 1/2-foot birdie putt to fall at the par-4 fifth, and he nearly aced the par-3 ninth by knocking his tee shot just past the cup to a mere 3 feet.
McIlroy, who has finished in the top 10 at five of the past six majors, is trying to vanquish a nine-year major title drought.
“I started thinking about winning this thing when I came here on Monday,” McIlroy said. “No one wants me to win another major more than I do.”
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2022 U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett (now a professional) both shot 68 on Friday and are tied for eighth at 5 under. Open Championship winner Cameron Smith of Australia (second-round 67) is at 4 under, and Tony Finau (69) is at 3 under.
Defending champion Matthew Fitzpatrick of England made a hole-in-one at the short par-3 15th, the third of the week after Frenchman Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns aced it on Thursday. Fitzpatrick shot 70 and is 1 over through two rounds.
Viktor Hovland of Norway (1 under), Bryson DeChambeau (even par), Brooks Koepka (even), Collin Morikawa (even) and Jon Rahm of Spain (2 over) made the 36-hole cut of 2 over par or better.
The same could not be said for Phil Mickelson (3 over), Jordan Spieth (3 over), Max Homa (4 over), Jason Day of Australia (9 over) and Justin Thomas (14 over after an 81 on Friday).
–Field Level Media
