Rahm, DeChambeau among stars to miss U.S. Open cut at Shinnecock

Shinnecock Hills turned the U.S. Open into a test of survival, and the cut line finally settled at 4-over par. By the time the top 60 and ties were set after 36 holes, the weekend field had been cut to 72 players and some of golf’s biggest names were already headed home.

Bryson DeChambeau shot 75 in the second round to finish at 145, two shots outside the cut line. Jon Rahm followed an opening 68 with a 78 on Friday, undone by four straight bogeys and a double bogey on the back nine, and missed the weekend by two. Brooks Koepka’s 77 left him six shots short, ending his run of 11 straight made U.S. Open cuts. Defending champion J.J. Spaun also fell, shooting 77 in the first round and missing by four. Wyndham Clark, by contrast, stood at 7-under after 36 holes and carried the lead into the weekend.

The cut itself became part of the drama. Friday’s number moved as players came and went, and Dylan Wu’s bogey on the par-5 16th helped push the projected line from 3-over to 4-over. That shift mattered far beyond a single stroke. Players on the edge were fighting not only for another two rounds at one of golf’s hardest venues, but for prize money, FedEx-style momentum, and the psychological lift that comes with surviving a major’s first examination.

Shinnecock’s record reinforced how unforgiving the setup was. The course has now hosted the U.S. Open six times, in 1896, 1986, 1995, 2004, 2018 and 2026, making it the only venue to stage the championship in three different centuries. Its cut lines have often run high, reaching 8-over in 2018 and 10-over in 1986. Before 2012, the U.S. Open also used a 10-shot rule, a safeguard later removed to prevent too many players from making the weekend and to help pace of play.

The field that reached Southampton, New York, was deep even before the cut arrived. The USGA completed the 156-player lineup on June 15, adding five alternates from final qualifying, Hennie Du Plessis, Spencer Tibbits, Bryan Lee, Jack Schoenberger and Harry Higgs, after two additional exemptions opened up. J.T. Poston earned a spot through the Official World Golf Ranking after winning the Memorial Tournament, Bud Cauley qualified after winning the RBC Canadian Open, and Preston Stout, the 2025 NCAA Division I champion, also joined the field.

That depth did not soften Shinnecock. It sharpened the stakes, and by Friday night the championship had already split into two tournaments: one for the 72 survivors, and one for the marquee names who never got to play the weekend.