US Open Golf 2012 Leaderboard: Contenders Sure to Fall in Round 2

He

There are plenty of lesser-known golfers near the top of the leaderboard after one round of action at the 2012 US Open. Their first 18 holes went relatively well, but don't expect the same result by the time they've played their next 18.

Golf is a sport where the better players finish higher. It's not like baseball where anybody can beat anybody. It's more of a sure thing than most other competitions.

With that being said, we'll evaluate three contenders atop the leaderboard who won't be there by the time the second round is over.

Michael Thompson

Thompson had a decent first round by most accounts. He bogeyed three of his first six holes, but wound up with seven birdies on the day.

He's ranked No. 107 on the tour for a reason, and that reason will come out and rear its ugly head in Round 2.

The 27-year-old hasn't had a good year on the PGA Tour.

He missed the cut earlier in the month at the Memorial Tournament after posting scores of 74 and 79 in his first two rounds. He then finished 47th and 51st at the Crowne Plaza Invitational and The Players Championship, respectively. Prior to that, he missed the cut at the Wells Fargo Championship at the beginning of may.

He played well in the opener, but it's extremely hard to play better than you actually are for over the course of 72 holes. Expect him to slide...fast.

David Toms

Toms went into the clubhouse at one-under after his first 18 holes of golf at the Olympic Club on Thursday.

He was much less bipolar than Thompson was, posting three birdies and two bogeys, so the rest of the tournament may seem bright for Toms.

Not so fast. In Toms' last three second rounds, he's posted scores of 75, 71 and 74. That's not a good omen for a player who is going to need a strong second round to stay relevant amongst the leaders.

He's missed the cut at the last two tournaments, putting up scored of 149 and 145. If you're a betting person, don't go out on a limb and pick Toms.

Beau Hossler

If you were Hossler, you'd be thrilled just to be in a professional tournament at 17 years of age. You'd feel even better if you were just four shots off the lead after a first round that saw you notch three birdies and three bogeys.

Hossler didn't play particularly well in his first round at a major championship. He hit just five fairways and nine greens. Sometimes you dodge a bullet and can eek out a good round despite hitting the ball poorly, but not over the course of four rounds.

It would be a great story and all, but Hossler won't be hanging among the leaders once the second round is complete.

The current top golfers are as follows:

Position	Player	Score
1	Michael Thompson	-4
T2	Graeme McDowell	-1
T2	Nick Watney	-1
T2	Justin Rose	-1
T2	Tiger Woods	-1
T2	David Toms	-1
T7	Jim Furyk	E
T7	Matt Kuchar	E
T7	Ian Poulter	E
T7	Beau Hossler	E
T7	Jae-Bum Park	E
T7	Jason Bohn	E
T7	Robert Karlsson	E
T7	Alistair Presnell	E

Here's a link to the complete leaderboard.