Pinehurst No.2 makes some of the world’s best golfers look ordinary as star names miss the cut at US Open

The difficult Pinehurst No.2 course made a number of star names look ordinary during the opening two rounds of the US Open, with the list of those who didn’t make the cut to compete this weekend reading like a who’s who of golf.

The difficult Pinehurst No.2 course made a number of star names look ordinary during the opening two rounds of the US Open, with the list of those who didn’t make the cut to compete this weekend reading like a who’s who of golf. There was no Tiger Woods teeing off on Saturday, which perhaps doesn’t come as a great surprise these days, after he missed the cut – but others failed on the fast and firm greens too, such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Webb Simpson and Jason Day, to name a few. Major winners, all-time greats and two of the world’s top 10 struggled on the North Carolina course on the first and second day. Even world No.1 Scottie Scheffler – a man who had made at least one birdie in his last 168 rounds – toiled, though at five-over overall he did just make the cut. The most recognizable name on the list of absentees this weekend is Woods, though it has been a number of years since the 48-year-old was a contender at majors. He shot 74 and 73 to finish seven-over overall. The 15-time major champion made it to the weekend at the Masters but has now missed the cut at successive majors after falling away at the PGA Championship last month. When asked by CNN’s Patrick Snell if he might have played his last US Open, Woods cast doubt on his future at the tournament and also at the Open Championship in the UK.