CLARK’S RECORD PACE & LIV’S FRIDAY NIGHTMARE - June 20th, 2026

On Friday, June 20th, 2026, Round 2 of the 126th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills delivered historic highs and catastrophic lows, headlined by Wyndham Clark's record-setting pace and a disastrous cut day for LIV Golf's biggest stars.WYNDHAM CLARK'S REDEMPTION ARCWyndham Clark seized control of Shinnecock Hills, setting a 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record at 7-under par, marking a stunning mental turnaround following his infamous locker-kicking suspension at Oakmont in 2025."Sometimes you go up and sometimes you have to go down to go back up," Clark said regarding his recent work with sports therapist Julie Elion.Clark's newfound zen is a stark contrast to last year's explosive outbursts, proving that prioritizing mental health can directly translate to major championship leaderboards.LIV GOLF'S FRIDAY DISASTERIt was a brutal Friday for the LIV Golf contingent, with heavyweights Jon Rahm (+6) and Bryson DeChambeau (+5) shockingly missing the cut while Dustin Johnson suffered a catastrophic back-nine collapse.DJ went from bombing a 391-yard drive over a spectator crosswalk to carding a brutal quadruple-bogey eight on the 15th hole, plummeting down the leaderboard to +3.Despite the massive drives, the punishing Shinnecock layout proved that raw power is no match for U.S. Open rough, sending two of the game's biggest stars packing early.NIEMANN'S MELTDOWN & HIGGS' MIRACLEJoaquin Niemann made history for the wrong reasons, receiving a two-stroke penalty under the new USGA Rule 1.2b for throwing his club 50 yards after being denied fire ant relief, turning a 9 into an 11.Niemann owned the meltdown, admitting, "that was a misbehave from my part," before incredibly bouncing back to shoot a 65.Meanwhile, Harry Higgs went from nearly quitting golf 12 days ago to making the cut at -1 in borrowed pants, draining a 75-foot putt on the 11th to feel "like a rock star."OFF-COURSE SHOCKER: MICKELSON SCANDALA shocking off-course scandal rocked the golf world as Phil Mickelson was confronted mid-round and forced to resign from The Farms Country Club over allegations of nonconsensual physical contact with a female employee.Mickelson's camp has quickly dismissed the serious allegations as a mere "misunderstanding."The mid-round confrontation adds a dark, unprecedented layer of drama to an already chaotic and historic U.S. Open week.Quick HitsSchauffele, Fitzpatrick (-3), Scheffler, and Morikawa (65) lurk on the leaderboard while McIlroy recovers to even par after thinning a 78-yard wedge • 17-year-old Miles Russell impressively makes the weekend cut • Amateur Giuseppe Puebla makes NIL history by sporting a Chipotle hat on the course Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.