11 unexpected stars miss U.S. Open cut at Shinnecock

11 surprising – From Bryson DeChambeau’s one-shot miss to Viktor Hovland’s rough start and a late putt meltdown for Jon Rahm, 11 notable names failed to make the weekend cut at Shinnecock Hills—an outcome that reshapes expectations for how this U.S. Open will unfold.

The weekend wasn’t the promise—Friday was the proof.

Bryson DeChambeau arrived at Shinnecock Hills with a new prototype TaylorMade driver and an opening-round 70 that suggested he could steady himself in the kind of conditions that demand focus more than flair. Then came his second-round collapse on the east end of Long Island: three-putting from 31 feet to make double bogey on the par-4 3rd. and three-putting from 17 feet to double the 4th. He made the turn in three over. then posted three bogeys and only one birdie coming home to shoot a five-over 75.

DeChambeau missed the cut by one shot.

It also marked the latest in a run that has quietly turned major golf into a stress test he hasn’t been passing. A year ago, he arrived at the U.S. Open at Oakmont as the defending champion and one of golf’s most consistent major performers—outside of a missed cut at the 2024 Open. Entering last year’s U.S. Open, he had a win and four other top-six finishes in his last six major championships.

Since then, the story has shifted.

DeChambeau missed the cut at Oakmont but rebounded with a T10 at Royal Portrush—the last time he played the weekend in a major. After that. he triple-bogeyed the 18th on Friday to miss the cut at the Masters. and he never had a chance to play the weekend at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. He has been fighting a right miss with his irons and a left miss with his driver and woods.

Speaking to Flushing It before this week at Shinnecock, he said he didn’t feel pressure to make the cut.

“No. To be honest, missed cuts are gonna happen,” DeChambeau told Flushing It. “I might miss all four of them in majors this year. That’s just golf. Like, I’m playing great. I just haven’t shown up when it mattered most. But I’ve played well out here on LIV. and I’m working on my golf swing really hard. and. I feel like it’s in a really solid place. It’s very close to some of my best golf ever.”.

What made the Shinnecock cut line sting even more is how quickly the calendar has turned into a pattern. DeChambeau has now missed four of his last five major cuts, and he has missed the weekend in back-to-back U.S. Opens since his win at Pinehurst No. 2.

DeChambeau wasn’t alone. On a leaderboard where players at four over or better will play the weekend—and where a few players could finish their second round on Saturday morning but the cut would not move—Shinnecock exposed how thin the margin can be for even the most familiar names.

Viktor Hovland also had reason to expect more. He was in the mix on Sunday at last year’s U.S. Open, and he’s been able to grind out good major rounds while he irons out issues in his swing. At Shinnecock, the opening-round problem showed up early. Hovland shot 76 in easier conditions and then followed with a 69 on Friday—but the start was too costly. and he missed the cut.

Jon Rahm’s U.S. Open began with a bogey-free 68 that put him squarely in the mix for the second round. after a PGA Championship at Aronimink where he had a chance to win. But Friday changed everything. His putter betrayed him as he missed six putts inside 10 feet. and a double bogey at the par-5 16th became the final blow in a second-round 78 that ended with a missed cut.

Rickie Fowler’s two-day results looked like a familiar struggle turning into an early exit. He opened with a 71 in the harder conditions but couldn’t keep it going Friday afternoon, finishing with a 74 to miss the cut.

Shane Lowry’s situation was different: the missed cut isn’t shocking by itself. but the direction of his form is. Since his implosion in the final round of the Cognizant Classic in March, Lowry has dipped sharply. After Sunday in the Palm Beaches. he didn’t have a top 20. and he left Long Island without playing the weekend at Shinnecock. shooting 73-73.

“Golf is just not agreeing with me at the moment; I’m not enjoying it,” Lowry said after his round on Friday, via the Irish Independent.

Patrick Cantlay entered Shinnecock with a familiar major profile—he continues to not be a factor at major championships—and Friday buried any chance of a weekend push. His round was 74-72, but his plans died on his final hole. He three-putted from 12 feet to fall to six over, erasing the momentum he needed to extend his stay.

Cameron Smith arrived as a trendy sleeper after signs of life at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. He’s a wind player with the game and temperament to answer what Shinnecock demands. But he started too deep in the hole: a front-nine 41 on Thursday left him behind the eight ball. and he couldn’t climb back through a 75 on Thursday and a 71 on Friday.

Brooks Koepka arrived with both recent U.S. Open history and a medical detour still hanging in the background. He won the last U.S. Open at Shinnecock and has been playing well this season outside of a temperamental putter. Last week, he withdrew due to an ulnar nerve issue that caused weakness in his hand. He said he was improving and felt ready to go in the lead-up to the championship. On Thursday, he played 17 good holes, but a closing double bogey sent him down the board. On Friday. he battled well for nine holes before coming home in 41 for a seven-over 77. posting a two-day score of 10 over and missing the cut.

Patrick Reed had reason to think Shinnecock might fit. He was in the hunt at the Masters. and he played well at the PGA despite the unorthodox prep of playing zero tournaments between the year’s first two majors. Reed is a grinder who embraces tough tests. But at Shinnecock, he struggled off the tee and on the greens, finishing 72-73 and heading home early.

Adam Scott’s run was supposed to be steady. He was playing in his 100th consecutive major. and many expected him to put himself in the mix as he tries to hunt down a second major. Instead. he lost strokes everywhere but the greens and was out of the picture by the time he made the turn on Friday. finishing 73-75.

J.J. Spaun, the defending U.S. Open champion, also exited early despite recent momentum. He had been playing good golf of late. won in Texas in March. and put himself in the mix at Colonial and Memorial after a putter change a few weeks ago. But he shot an opening-round 77 and missed the chance to turn it around, posting 77-71.

The sequence at Shinnecock isn’t just about who hit a bad swing—it’s about who couldn’t save the week when it tightened. A one-shot miss becomes a habit for a player like DeChambeau. a brutal opening round becomes a trap for Viktor Hovland. and a putter that fails inside the margins becomes the difference between being in it and watching from the clubhouse.

With the weekend now locked behind the four-over line, this U.S. Open will play out without 11 familiar names who arrived expecting something steadier.

U.S. Open cut Shinnecock Hills Bryson DeChambeau Viktor Hovland Jon Rahm Rickie Fowler Shane Lowry Patrick Cantlay Cameron Smith Brooks Koepka Patrick Reed Adam Scott J.J. Spaun