US Open Golf 2012: Where Notable Names Stand
The 112th U.S. Open is at the midway point and you're probably asking yourself: "What's Tiger doing?" "Is Rory on his way to successfully defending his title?" "Will Lee Westwood win his first major championship?"
Well, keep reading, because the Olympic Country Club has been a real test for these golfers, and whoever wins on Sunday, you have to know that he deserves it, because to aspire for the victory, the champion must bring his "A" game to the table.
Without further ado, here's where they stand.
Tiger Woods
1 of 10Tiger is atop the leader board at one-under, and he shares the spot with Jim Furyk and David Toms.
Woods expressed his confidence in his post-round presser.
"I'm right there in a good spot. So looking forward to it and going off late tomorrow."
Woods seems to be getting back to his old self. He won The Memorial a couple of weeks ago and is showing to be consistent. In the opening round he shot a one-under 69, and on Friday he stayed even.
The former world No. 1 hasn't won a major championship since 2008, when he defeated Rocco Mediate in the first playoff hole at the U.S. Open.
Phil Mickelson
2 of 10Lefty was very close to missing the cut. His first round was a disaster: He finished six over, risking his chances to play during the weekend.
However, Phil didn't give up and managed to shoot one-over 71 in the second round to secure his spot for the last 36 holes.
Currently, Mickelson sits tied for 51st. Being in contention on Sunday won't be easy, and he knows it: "I have to shoot three or four under par tomorrow (today) to have a chance for Sunday. It's out there, but it's very difficult."
Graeme McDowell
3 of 10When the Northern Irishman teed off, he was trailing Michael Johnson, who led at four under.
Graeme hung in there and managed to post a two-over 72 and tie for fourth at one-over. The Olympic Club was definitively playing tougher, which he acknowledged.
"My day was as equally enjoyable as yesterday. It's just tough to have fun out there, I got to be honest with you. It's just a brutal test of golf."
McDowell is set to play with Nicolas Colsaerts today.
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Lee Westwood
4 of 10Despite being paired with Luke Donald and Rory McIlroy, both of whom weren't having great rounds, Lee Westwood made the cut at five-over.
He’s tied for 29th, six shots off the lead. It will be very tough for Lefty to overcome the deficit and try to improve his performance at the U.S. Open.
His best finish is a tie for third in 2008 and 2011.
Jim Furyk
5 of 10Jim Furyk has won one major championship: the 2003 U.S. Open. Today, he’s halfway from hoisting the trophy again.
The American posted a 70 on Thursday and a 69 yesterday, which gave him a share of the lead along with Tiger Woods and David Toms.
After his round, Furyk said: “I think when I'm playing well I do a great job of keeping the ball in the fairway and being patient.”
Jason Dufner
6 of 10Jason Dufner is in the best position he has ever been on a U.S. Open.
In 2010, he registered his top finish after tying for 33rd. Now he sits ninth with seven other players.
He got there with rounds of 72 and 71, for an overall score of three-over.
Justin Rose
7 of 10Justin Rose has participated six times in the U.S. Open, but he's only made the cut two times.
Curiously, in those occasions, he has never finished outside the top 10. Today, the Englishman will start tied for 18th at four-over.
Since 2007, Rose hasn't played the complete tournament since 2007, when he finished tied for 10th. In 2008, 2009 and 2011, he missed the cut, and in 2010 he didn't participate.
Matt Kuchar
8 of 10World no. 6 Matt Kuchar is playing in his third straight U.S. Open weekend, something he hadn’t done before.
Kuchar has four PGA Tour titles, with one of those having come at this year’s The PLAYERS Championship.
He is tied for ninth after shooting 70 and 73; in the second, round he was three over after three holes.
Kuchar pointed out the difficulty of playing at The Olympic Club.
“It's just pretty impossible to go around this place without making some sort of mistake and a big number."
Hunter Mahan
9 of 10Hunter Mahan joins Matt Kuchar, Jason Dufner and other six players who are tied for ninth.
After posting rounds of 72 and 71, Mahan is seeking to grab his first major championship title.
It’s the first time he has made the cut since the 2009 edition, when he had his best finish, a tie for sixth.
Missed the Cut...
10 of 10Say goodbye to some high-profile golfers. They had costly mistakes which prevented them from playing the last 36 holes.
And they are:
| Player | Round 1 | Round 2 | Total |
| Rory McIlroy | 77 | 73 | +10 |
| Luke Donald | 79 | 72 | +11 |
| Bubba Watson | 78 | 71 | +9 |
| Dustin Johnson | 75 | 74 | +9 |
Do you know when was the last time they missed the cut?
| Player | Year |
| Rory McIlroy | 2010 |
| Luke Donald | 2009 |
| Bubba Watson | 2008 |
| Dustin Johnson | 2012 |
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