DeChambeau, Mickelson slip late, head home early

OAKMONT, Pa. -- There won't beryllium a back-to-back U.S. Open champion this year.

Bryson DeChambeau, who won astatine Pinehurst successful 2024, missed the chopped astatine Oakmont aft shooting a 7-over 77 connected Friday to decorativeness 10 implicit done 2 rounds.

DeChambeau, 31, stumbled retired of the gross with a bogey connected No. 10, but helium recovered with a par connected 11 and a birdie connected 12. But helium lone recorded 2 much birdies the remainder of the afternoon, portion finishing with 7 bogeys and 1 treble bogey.

He wasn't the lone erstwhile U.S. Open victor to autumn unfortunate to Oakmont's monstrous course.

Justin Rose (+14), Gary Woodland (+10), Dustin Johnson (+10), Wyndham Clark (+8) and Lucas Glover (+8) are besides each expected to miss the 7-over chopped (second-round play was suspended precocious Friday with a tiny radical of players yet to finish).

Phil Mickelson, playing successful the last twelvemonth of his five-year Open exemption for winning the 2021 PGA Championship, besides missed the chopped aft a second-round 74 near him astatine 8 over. Mickelson has missed the chopped astatine the U.S. Open 4 consecutive times, and 2025 marked his 11th effort astatine completing the elusive Grand Slam.

Earlier successful the week, the 54-year-old acknowledged determination was a "high likelihood" this would beryllium his last U.S. Open appearance. Asked successful a quality league connected June 4 if helium would enactment successful unfastened qualifying for aboriginal U.S. Opens if helium isn't exempt, Mickelson demurred.

"I don't know," helium said. "I haven't thought that far."

Mickelson ne'er has won the U.S. Open, though helium finished runner-up six times successful 33 berths.

Mickelson declined interrogation requests Friday aft missing a putt for birdie connected No. 18 that would've enactment him astatine the chopped line. Mickelson was 1 implicit connected the beforehand 9 and pulled adjacent with a birdie connected 11. But aft making 3 consecutive pars, helium double-bogeyed 2 of the last 4 holes.

As helium walked disconnected the greenish astatine 18, the LIV Golf headliner was greeted by a smattering of "Lefty!" shouts by a fewer fans successful beforehand of the clubhouse. He offered them a mates of debased waves and caput nods arsenic helium exited the people and headed to grounds his score.

Ben Griffin, who astatine adjacent par is tied for fourth, stopped to chat with the six-time large champion during what could beryllium his past U.S. Open round.

"Yeah, unluckily my memories of him are not winning, due to the fact that I cognize helium needs it for the Grand Slam," Griffin said. "But yeah, increasing up arsenic a kid watching him and Tiger [Woods] conflict it retired and immoderate different large names was truly cool.

"Phil is simply a feline that I decidedly watched passim my inferior play and passim puerility and was a bully feline to benignant of travel and beryllium inspired by."

Shane Lowry, the No. 12 subordinate successful the world, besides missed the chopped aft 2 dismal rounds to decorativeness 17-over.

"I fto it benignant of bash what I said I wouldn't do, but that's Oakmont," Lowry said. "That's the U.S. Open, and I conscionable made evidently excessively galore doubles, excessively galore large mistakes, and past erstwhile I got a mates of chances I didn't person them. I didn't truly bash overmuch close to beryllium honest, different than I drove the shot arsenic bully arsenic I've astir apt driven the shot successful a agelong time."

A microcosm of Lowry's week came connected No. 14 arsenic the Irishman picked up his shot connected the greenish without marking it. He was assessed a one-stroke punishment for the intelligence lapse, starring to a treble bogey.

"Probably 1 of the stupidest things I've ever done," Lowry said with a chuckle. "I picked the shot up, had the shot successful my hand, turned astir to [caddie] Darren [Reynolds], and helium fundamentally said to me, what you doing?

"My caput was determination else. But I fought. I inactive tried. I fought implicit each shot. I inactive tried implicit each shot, and that's each you tin do, I accidental successful a week similar this."