Burns, one of 3 players under par, atop U.S. Open

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Sam Burns avoided a meltdown that ruined his opening circular astatine the U.S. Open and coiled up with a large par prevention connected his past spread for a 5-under 65 and the 36-hole lead. Best of all, helium was agelong gone earlier the existent calamity arrived precocious Friday day astatine Oakmont.

Rory McIlroy threw a nine successful disgust and smashed a tee marker. For punishment, helium gets to travel backmost for 2 much rounds due to the fact that helium birdied the 18th to marque the cut.

Shane Lowry absent-mindedly picked up his play shot connected the 14th greenish without marking it.

Thriston Lawrence became the lone subordinate to scope 6-under par. He promptly made six bogeys and a treble bogey implicit his adjacent 9 holes.

Thomas Detry tin admit the suffering. He was challenging for the pb until 3 treble bogeys successful a three-hole stretch.

And past determination was Phil Mickelson, successful what apt is his 34th and last U.S. Open. He was conscionable extracurricular the apical 20 until 2 treble bogeys successful his past 4 holes for a 74 to miss the cut.

The chopped mightiness not beryllium authoritative until Saturday morning. If the 2nd circular wasn't brutal enough, play was halted by atrocious upwind conscionable arsenic Lawrence had a 4-foot putt connected the past spread to decorativeness a chaotic circular that was approaching six hours. The time ended with rainfall pounding the people and 13 players yet to finish.

Scottie Scheffler, coming disconnected 3 wins successful his past 4 starts, had his sixth consecutive circular implicit par successful the U.S. Open with a crippled that didn't look familiar. He inactive scratched retired a 71 and was 7 shots behind.

Burns was a regular birdie instrumentality -- astatine Oakmont, nary little -- playing successful the greeting nether unreality screen and small upwind and flushing his irons truthful good that each six of his birdies were wrong 10 feet.

He was astatine 3-under 137, 1 changeable up of J.J. Spaun, who fell retired of a stock of the pb with a bogey connected the 18th, his sixth successful his circular of 72.

Burns and Viktor Hovland (68) each person 11 sub-par holes implicit 36 holes, the astir successful 3 U.S. Opens astatine Oakmont since it switched to a par 70 successful 2007. Hovland was 2 shots behind.

Only 3 players remained nether par, the fewest successful 7 years the U.S. Open.

Burns tin lone ideate wherever helium would beryllium if not for a shocker of a decorativeness Thursday, erstwhile helium was 1 changeable retired of the pb and past played his past 4 holes successful 5-over par.

"I played truly good yesterday different than the finishing holes. So I deliberation contiguous was conscionable benignant of getting mentally acceptable to travel retired and effort to enactment a bully circular together," helium said.

"It was unfortunate, but determination was excessively overmuch bully to absorption connected the small spot of bad."

Burns is the 2nd subordinate successful large title past to pb outright done 36 holes aft being extracurricular the apical 30 done 18 holes. Curtis Strange did it astatine the 1989 U.S. Open, which helium went connected to win.

Hovland doubly holed 50-foot shots from disconnected the greenish -- a putter from the collar connected No. 10 erstwhile helium started his round, and chipping successful for eagle connected the reachable par-4 17th. He besides chopped up the 2nd spread for a treble bogey. But helium was blessed to beryllium done.

"Definitely tired, exhausted due to the fact that you're conscionable focusing truthful overmuch connected each azygous shot," helium said. "I'm precise pleased with 2-under par, but besides I cognize that I was 4 nether astatine immoderate point. So it's similar precise pleased, but also, 'Man, that could person been a small spot lower.' But we're successful a truly bully spot aft 2 days, truthful I'm conscionable benignant of happy."

Adam Scott, playing successful his 96th consecutive major, had different 70 and joined Ben Griffin (71) astatine even-par 140.

Burns is among the apical putters connected the PGA Tour, though helium did miss a 5-foot putt to triumph a playoff successful the Canadian Open past week and three-putted the 4th playoff spread to lose. This was much astir staying successful presumption and eliminating arsenic overmuch accent arsenic imaginable connected a people that tin beryllium relentless.

No putt was much important than his 20-foot par putt up the ridge connected No. 9 to decorativeness disconnected a large circular the close way. He tugged his thrust to the near connected the pugnacious par-4 ninth into a ditch, took a punishment drop, deed safely connected the greenish and made the putt.

"That putt was, I don't know, 6 feet of break," helium said. "Yeah, it was a bully 1 to marque for sure."

Brooks Koepka had a 74 but was lone 5 behind.

Jon Rahm went from reddish numbers to reddish successful the look with a 75, leaving him successful the aforesaid spot arsenic Scheffler. Rahm, who took 35 putts, was asked if his people could exemplify however pugnacious Oakmont was playing.

"Honestly, excessively annoyed and excessively huffy close present to deliberation astir immoderate perspective," helium said. "Very frustrated. Very fewer rounds of play I played successful my beingness wherever I deliberation I deed bully putts and they didn't sniff the hole. So it's frustrating."

That's not conscionable Oakmont. That's astir U.S. Opens. In that respect, Hovland was a funny contender. He has been each implicit the spot with his swing, his expectations, his confidence. He won during the Florida plaything and is making progress. Perhaps nary expectations helped him.

"For immoderate crushed I've conscionable been successful a truly bully intelligence authorities this week," Hovland said. "Both my rounds person been precise up and down. I consciousness similar a mates times if it would person happened astatine different tournament, for example, I could person perchance mislaid my caput determination a small bit. But I felt similar I kept things unneurotic precise well."

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.