There has been a lot of talk about golf formats over the past couple weeks, with LIV Golf implementing three-round tournaments with no cuts. Everyone plays the entire tournament, and everyone gets money.
Conversely, the U.S. Open is not the kind of tournament that's going to reward everyone. In fact, most players will likely spend most of their rounds frustrated given the difficult conditions.
Making the weekend at the U.S. Open is an achievement for even the highest-level professional golfer. Here's how it's determined who will play on the weekend at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
U.S. Open Cut
The top 60 and ties after the second round will play the weekend.
With a record-setting $17.5 million purse, that means a lot. The USGA announced the winner of the tournament will get $3.15 million (Jon Rahm got $2.25 million last year), and the incredible total purse makes it the most lucrative major championship on the golf calendar.
Given the number of amateurs and local qualifiers in the field at the U.S. Open, making the cut could mean the financial opportunity of a lifetime for some of them.
What's the Cut Going To Be?
After the first round, 78 players were 2-over or better. It was such a high number because T57 was, you guessed it, 2-over on the dot. Conditions were good for players in the morning, and temperatures stayed in the low 70s throughout the day. Wind was more of a factor in the afternoon, though.
There is a slight chance of rain early in the afternoon on Friday, but the increased heat will be the big storyline. The temperature on Friday morning around 8 a.m. ET will be similar to what it was throughout Thursday, but it will reach 80 degrees early in the afternoon.
What does that mean? Well, if it doesn’t rain, greens will be faster and much firmer than they were during the first round. The wind will also be in the low to mid-teens throughout Friday.
Expect higher scores during the second round, with the cut line moving toward 4- or 5-over par — or higher, since it is the U.S. Open.
