DeChambeau sets US Open target, McIlroy one back

Bryson DeChambeau birdied his last spread to group nan clubhouse lead midway done information 2 of nan US Open astatine Pinehurst.

The American changeable a one-under 69 to amended to 4 under, 1 up of Rory McIlroy whose 72 leaves him astatine 3 under.

DeChambeau was concisely overhauled by Thomas Detry who changeable six birdies but bogeyed 2 of his last 3 holes to subordinate nan American astatine 4 nether par.

It was a battling capacity from McIlroy who shared nan overnight lead pinch Patrick Cantlay connected 5 under.

Cantlay is among nan later starters connected Friday, arsenic is Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, who resumes connected 4 under.

Meanwhile, world number 1 Scottie Scheffler is successful threat of missing nan trim for nan first clip since August 2022 aft a ragged information of 74 near him astatine 5 complete par, connected nan projected line.

So far, nan notoriously reliable Number Two people astatine Pinehurst has not been nan communicative of nan 124th US Open pinch tourney organisers watering nan people betwixt rounds, but its capacity to punish bad shots has made for compelling viewing.

DeChambeau is making a wont of contending astatine fields this twelvemonth pinch a associated sixth astatine nan Masters and 2nd astatine past month's US PGA Championship.

Thursday’s information featured conscionable 1 bogey, but a helter-skelter show connected Friday contained good lengthy putts and passionate fist pumps to nan delight of nan massed crowds pursuing his play.

"I'm excited for nan trial and challenge," said DeChambeau who had 5 birdies and 4 bogeys successful his 69. "It's going to evolve, particularly pinch nan conditions being arsenic basking arsenic they are. If nan upwind picks up, it's going to beryllium diabolical."

The past clip McIlroy started a US Open without a bogey connected nan first time he won astatine Congressional successful 2011 and Thursday’s cleanable opening information put him associated apical of nan early rankings.

He described time 1 arsenic a “controlled information of golf” but seemed to beryllium losing his grip erstwhile astatine 2 complete par for his round, he putted consecutive disconnected nan greenish connected nan 17th (his eighth), only to spread nan spot backmost to prevention par.

That energised him astir nan move and he yet recovered his first birdie pinch a seven-footer astatine nan 3rd to reward a magnificent attack into nan green.

He past dug retired a gutsy par astatine nan 5th to enactment astatine 4 nether until nan last bogey costs him a stock of third.

"I did a beautiful bully occupation astatine keeping immoderate of nan mistakes disconnected nan scorecard," said McIlroy. "I wish I had converted a mates much of nan chances but I deed nan shot beautiful good and had plentifulness of opportunities.

"Still, I americium successful a awesome position going into nan weekend."

He vanished information 2 8 shots up of playing partner Scheffler who could look his first play disconnected astatine a tourney successful almost 2 years aft different off-colour information of golf.

Before Friday, he had not played a birdie-free information of play astatine a awesome tourney but could not find his shape successful a bruising information of 74.

There was moreover a insignificant irate outburst from nan usually impassive world number 1 arsenic he tossed his putter pursuing a missed par attempt.

An erratic show was summed up by a grisly double bogey astatine nan 5th spread aft he needed 2 attempts to flight from immoderate sandy scrubland.

World number 2 Xander Schauffele, who won past month's US PGA to registry his first awesome title, had akin woes successful nan soil astatine five, stalling a information that had threatened to drawback occurrence and near him astatine 1 nether par.

He was joined connected that people by England's Tyrrell Hatton who hauled himself into nan apical 5 earlier 3 bogeys successful 4 holes connected nan backmost 9 checked his progress.

England's Tommy Fleetwood and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre are astatine 5 complete and six complete par respectively and waiting to spot really nan precocious activity fare pinch nan apical 60 and ties making it to nan weekend.

And topsy-turvy information of nan time truthful acold goes to Sepp Straka, who had an unfortunate triple-bogey 7 connected nan 3rd aft his shot deed nan pin and ricocheted into a bunker.

However, nan Austrian was high-fiving everyone successful show aft registering nan tournament's first hole-in-one connected nan par-three ninth arsenic he posted a 72 to decorativeness 2 over.