US Open Leaderboard 2012: Phil Mickelson and Stars in Danger of Missing Cut

The 2012 US Open has been a nightmare for some of golf's biggest names.

The unforgiving 7,170-yard course at Olympic Club in San Francisco has frustrated some of the best players in the world, destroying their scores and psyches after just 18 holes of play.

The projected cut is currently five-over-par, and while that certainly seems like an attainable score, this rigorous course is not easily conquered. Gaining strokes at Olympic Club is nearly impossible, which means the following superstars could be watching the US Open from home this weekend.

Phil Mickelson (+6)

Tee Time: 4:18 p.m. ET

Lefty continued his recent struggles, finishing with a six-over 76 on Thursday.

The newly inducted Hall of Famer shanked his first tee shot of the day into the gallery, and things didn't get much better from there. He bogeyed his first three holes and finished with seven over-par holes (compared to just one birdie) in his opening round.

After withdrawing from the Memorial following a poor first round, this was a discouraging performance for Lefty. I'm not sure if his problems are mental, physical or both, but he needs to snap out of his funk immediately if he wants to avoid missing his second US Open cut in six years.

Bubba Watson (+8)

Tee Time: 4:18 p.m. ET

Paired with Mickelson and Tiger Woods, I was expecting big things from Watson. Unfortunately, the 2012 Masters winner put together one of the most disappointing first rounds in recent memory.

Watson had just one promising hole on the day, birdieing No. 17. However, he immediately followed that with a double-bogey on 18, effectively squashing any momentum he had built. Watson also bogeyed Holes 2, 3, 6, 9, 11, 15 and 16.

Given his immense talent, I'm expecting a much better round from Watson today. If the cut stays at plus-five, however, Bubba won't be competing this weekend.

Zach Johnson (+7)

Tee Time: 4:25 p.m. ET

Watson and Mickelson aren't the only former Masters winners who are struggling at Olympic Club.

Johnson, the 2007 green jacket winner, double-bogeyed No. 4 and No. 15 in his opening round, while also registering bogeys on Holes 3, 5, 6 and 8. He did sink a birdie on No. 1, but that was hardly enough to negate his mistakes.

With his success in 2012, I was looking for a strong showing from Johnson at the US Open. He has four top-10 finishes on the year, including a runner-up performance at The Players Championship and a win at the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Unfortunately, he success didn't carry over to the second major of the year. If he can't string together 18 brilliant holes in Round 2, Johnson will miss his third US Open cut in five years.

Click here for the full 2012 US Open leaderboard.