U.S. Open Sets Cut Line at 4-Over, Sending 72 Golfers to Shinnecock Weekend

Q: After a record-breaking start, can Wyndham Clark avoid the weekend collapse that has doomed past leaders at Shinnecock Hills?

Yes — Clark looks better equipped than most past Shinnecock leaders to hold up, but the course’s history means nothing is secure. Clark has earned that position. His 64-69 start put him at 7-under, a new 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record at Shinnecock, and he is the only player under par in both rounds. He also carries a four-shot lead over Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Stevens and Tom Kim, with his approach play and putting both ranking among the field’s best. Just as important, his recent form is strong after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and contending in recent starts. The biggest reason to believe he can avoid a collapse is experience. Clark already owns a U.S. Open title from 2023, and he has said he is in a better mental place than he was during last year’s missed-cut defense at Oakmont. He has openly acknowledged past emotional lapses, but this week he has sounded more composed, saying he trusts his game even when it is not perfect. Still, Shinnecock is the warning sign. The course has a long history of punishing leaders, especially when wind rises and greens firm up. In 2004 and 2018, weekend conditions turned volatile and contenders unraveled quickly. Even with the USGA trying to keep the setup fairer this year, Shinnecock remains one of the hardest U.S. Open venues. So Clark has the form, lead and mindset to finish it off. But at Shinnecock, a four-shot cushion is protection, not safety.

Q: Did the USGA's 'softer' course setup ironically cause the shocking downfall of golf's biggest names like Rahm and Koepka?

No. The evidence points much more to Shinnecock’s changing weather and the players’ own mistakes than to any ironic effect from a “softer” USGA setup. The USGA did appear to take a more cautious approach than in past Shinnecock Opens, with slower greens and a stated desire to avoid the kind of unplayable conditions that drew criticism in 2004 and 2018. Some players, including Brooks Koepka before the event, noted the course was softer and the greens slower than they remembered. But that did not make the championship easy. Heavy fog, a suspension of play, and brutal early winds still made the opening stretch highly uneven and demanding. The scoring shows that clearly. The cut settled at +4, which was lower than the +8 cut at Shinnecock in 2018 and lower than last year’s +7 at Oakmont, meaning the field as a whole still faced a stern test. Wyndham Clark’s lead at -7 was exceptional, not evidence of a soft setup across the board. Rahm and Koepka missed for more direct reasons. Rahm’s week unraveled with a back-nine 41 on Friday. Koepka finished at +10, well outside the number. Other stars such as DeChambeau, Hovland, Cantlay and Lowry also fell short, suggesting this was a broad failure to handle Shinnecock’s demands rather than a setup that somehow singled out elite names. If anything, the softer setup likely prevented even more chaos. The upset was real, but the cause was still Shinnecock’s difficulty, especially when weather and execution turned against top players.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 19

A 4-over cut sent 72 players into the weekend at the 2026 U.S. Open, with Datagolf's model moving +4 to 100% as Round 2 closed at Shinnecock Hills.
That line left several marquee names out: Bryson DeChambeau, Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel, and Rickie Fowler finished at +5, while Jon Rahm, Shane Lowry, Patrick Cantlay, and Brooks Koepka missed by wider margins.
Wyndham Clark led at 7-under after 36 holes, with Xander Schauffele, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Stevens, and Tom Kim tied for second at 3-under.
Scoring proved less punishing than recent U.S. Opens after heavy fog and brutal wind eased, producing a lower cut than Oakmont's +7 last year and Shinnecock's +8 in 2018.