SAN DIEGO — Qualifying for the U.S. Open is a great achievement. Once you are there, making the cut and playing in the final two rounds is another hurdle that needs to be cleared. Only the low 60 players and ties earn Saturday and Sunday tee times at America’s national championship, which means after the second round, it’s ‘Wait ’til next year’ for more than half the 156-man field.
This year, the cutline was 4 over (146).
Among the trunk slammers, there are always a few surprising names, golfers who have achieved great things but for some reason, could not deliver. Below is a list of the notable players at the 121st U.S. Open at Torrey Pines who will not be moving on.
Tyrrell Hattonplays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
The 29-year-old is ranked No. 9 on the Official World Golf Ranking and won the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational, but a meltdown Friday knocked the Englishman out of this championship. Carding a double-bogey 7 on the par-5 13th hole was costly.
Will Zalatoris plays his shot from the second tee during the second round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
The magic that helped Zalatoris impressively finish T-6 at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and which enabled him to nearly win the Masters in April, was never there at Torrey Pines. After starting early Thursday morning, he made four bogeys over his fist right holes, then scored pars on the remaining 11. On Friday, he scored three more bogeys and, again, failed to card a birdie.
Billy Horschel hits his tee shot on the 6th hole during a practice round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Horschel was able to grind it out and win in Austin, Texas, earlier this season at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, but the former FedEx Cup champion struggled down the stretch Friday. He made a double-bogey 5 on the 11th hole, then bogeyed the par-5 13th to push his overall score to 7 over.
Tony Finau chips onto the fifth green during the first round of the U.S. Open on June 17, 2021, at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
Tony Finau played in the final group at the 2019 U.S. Open, held a few hundred miles up the California coast at Pebble Beach. Here at Torrey Pines, he struggled, especially hitting fairways. The American only found the short grass of the tee twice on Friday.
Henrik Stenson signals right after his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
Golf courses that host U.S. Opens don’t hand out birdies easily. The Swede earned three, but he missed far too many fairways and, statistically, was among the worst putters in the field.
Webb Simpson lines up a putt on the second green during the first round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
The only consolation that Simpson, the winner of the 2012 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, likely took after shooting 79 on Thursday was that he broke 80. One of the steadiest players on the PGA Tour, he made bogey on four of his first five holes Thursday morning. Struggles off the tee and with his putter will give Simpson the weekend off.
Justin Rose plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports
After winning the 2018 FedEx Cup, Rose, the winner of the 2013 U.S. Open at Merion, has had a frustrating last two seasons. However, Rose finished T-8 at the PGA Championship and seventh at the Masters in April, so there was a reason for hope heading to Torrey Pines. Unfortunately, he made three straight bogeys, twice, on Thursday en route to his 78 while carding no birdies. He managed to make three birdies on Friday, but they were offset by seven bogeys and a double-bogey on the par-4 seventh hole.
