Martin Kaymer was in trouble when he arrived at the 10th hole during the second round of the US Open. Then the situation got much worse for the defending champion.
From the middle of the fairway, Kaymer missed his second shot badly to the right, leading to a triple bogey.
Kaymer, who finished at 6 over, was among a handful of big names to miss the cut on Friday. Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler — two potential favorites before the week began — were out of the tournament after Watson finished at 7 over and Fowler at 14 over.
And Tiger Woods was gone as well after forgettable rounds of 80 and 76 and a tie for 150th overall.
“On a golf course like this you get exposed and you have to be precise and dialed in,” Woods said. “And obviously I didn’t have that.”
Another 15 players had their fate resting on Nick Hardy, one of six amateurs to make the cut.
Hardy was in the last group on the course and at 4 over heading to his final hole. A par would keep the cut line at 4 over. A bogey would get the additional 15 to the weekend.
Hardy made bogey, moving the cut line to 5 over and giving Jimmie Walker, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia, Angel Cabrera and Colin Montgomerie passage to the third round.
Others were not so lucky. Among the other big names headed home: Hunter Mahan, Graeme McDowell, Miguel Angel Jimenez.
While the amateurs could enjoy their success, the professionals were left dazed. Fowler wasn’t much better than Woods, following his 81 in the first round with a 73.
lahiri, Kapur out too
The Indian duo of Anirban lahiri and Shiv Kapur made an early exit after missing the halfway cut.
The Indian pair played well in patches but were hit on putting surfaces, which in general was very demanding for everyone in the field.
lahiri scored 75-72 while Kapur shot 72-77. The cut came at five-over and lahiri missed it by two and Kapur missed it by four on Friday.
lahiri looked set to make his second cut in a Major this year till the 12th hole of the second round before running into a rough patch on the second nine, when he bogeyed three times in six holes.
Kapur, who came through a qualifier, had another disastrous start, this time from the tenth. He dropped shots on three of first four holes — the 10th, 11th and 12th. A birdie on 15th was his consoling moment of the day, as he added bogeys on 18th, first and then three in a row from fifth to seventh.