Rory McIlroy misses US Open cut as Dustin Johnson leads at Oakmont
By Ali Stafford at Oakmont
Last Updated: 18/06/16 10:59pm
Rory McIlroy has crashed out of the US Open after a dramatic collapse during the closing stretch of his second round at Oakmont.
Latest leaderboard
The world No 3 birdied four of his opening seven holes but struggled after the turn, eventually closing a one-over 71 to slip to eight over and fall two strokes short of making the weekend.
McIlroy had moved within six strokes of midway pacesetter Dustin Johnson with a first-nine 31, only slide down the leaderboard after the turn and post his first major missed cut since the 2013 Open Championship.
Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson also made an early exit, where Johnson's nearest challenge still comes from first-round pacesetter Andrew Landry.
Resuming alongside Johnson and Landry, Lee Westwood moved in to a three-way tie on four under with a close-range birdie at the first.
The 43-year-old holed a long par-save at the second and briefly claimed the outright advantage by rolling in a 10-footer at the fourth, only to slide down the leaderboard with four bogeys in a five-hole stretch around the turn.
Landry's run of pars came to an end with back-to-back blemishes from the sixth, before a knifed shot from the sand saw him run up a double-bogey five at the next.
Gregory Bourdy, six strokes off the pace at one stage, recovered from an opening-hole blemish to reach the turn in 33 before a hole-out eagle at the 11th lifted him within one.
After completing the front nine in 39, Landry carded a birdie-two at the 13th before finishing with back-to-back birdies to secure his place in the final group.
Successive gains at 13 and 14 had parachuted Bourdy to the top of the leaderboard, only for him to three-putt the 16th and run up a double-bogey at the last to close a three-under 67.
At two under, Bourdy joins Scott Piercy and Sergio Garcia two strokes back, while Westwood picked up shots at the 16th and 18th to join a five-way tie that includes Shane Lowry a further shot back.
Open Champion Zach Johnson and Adam Scott posted matching 69s to move back level-par, while last year's winner Jordan Spieth stuttered in to the weekend with a second successive 72.
World No 1 Jason Day is joined by Bubba Watson and Masters champion Danny Willett nine strokes off the pace, as Rickie Fowler followed a 76 with a 75 to register his third consecutive missed cut.
McIlroy began his change in direction with a four-putt double-bogey at the third, with the 2011 champion saving par from the fifth fringe but dropping a shot at the next.
Needing a par at the last, the Northern Irishman thinned his second shot from the ninth bunker and ran up a double-bogey, with Justin Rose and Patrick Reed also on eight over.
Watch the US Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
