U.S. Open 2016: Biggest Questions Entering Moving Day
Two days into the U.S. Open at Oakmont, Pennsylvania, and little is carved in stone.
Wicked weather impacted everyone in the field, which means the 36-hole cut line won't even be official until sometime Saturday.
The world's No. 1 player, Jason Day, is in some peril, however, as are 2015 champion Jordan Spieth and career Grand Slam wannabe Phil Mickelson.
But by the time Saturday is complete, the picture will be in focus.
This is Moving Day, where the 2016 tournament really begins. Here are the biggest questions heading into Saturday at Oakmont.
Will the Weekend Include More Golfers Than Weathermen?
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In a word, yes.
After two Western Pennsylvania days that included nearly three inches of rain and left broadcasters to spend as much time analyzing Doppler radar as they did the tournament leaderboard, it appears a respite may finally have arrived.
The Weather Channel is forecasting a zero percent—yes, that's z-e-r-o—chance of rain for Saturday and Sunday, with winds topping out at 5 mph and temperatures reaching 88 and 89 on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
And with that, we can turn our major tournament weather preoccupation to Scotland in mid-July.
What could possibly go wrong?
Might the World's No. 1 Player Miss the Cut?
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Here's a hint.
If the majority of the headlines describing your early fortunes at a tournament include the word "disastrous," it's not a good thing.
Such is the malady afflicting world No. 1 Jason Day thus far at Oakmont, where Thursday weather scrubbed his first round entirely and forced him into a marathon session Friday that yielded a six-over-par 76 for his first 18 holes, and an abbreviated second round in which he got one shot closer to even while playing 15 holes.
The cut line is hovering ominously at six over par, which means Day will need to hyper-focus on three holes' worth of golf just to continue—then somehow re-calibrate into a winning mindset for the final 36.
Bet on him to clear the first hurdle, but it's unlikely he vaults past also-ran status by Sunday.
Is Lefty's Quest for a Career Grand Slam Over?
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Sorry Lefty fans, but the clear answer here is yes.
Phil Mickelson is 46 years old.
He's not won any major tournament in three years, and his last two trips to the U.S. Open prior to this week had resulted in ties for 28th and 64th.
And this year, through 34 holes at seven over par, he's far closer to the cut line at six over than he is to the lead at four under.
So while he's a cinch to be forever mentioned as one of the game's all-time greats, the idea that he'll be any closer to crossing the American national championship off his bucket list as a 47-year-old at Erin Hills or a 48-year-old at Shinnecock Hills seems a significant stretch of sentimentality.
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How Much Longer Can Andrew Landry Be a Factor?
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We should know by mid-morning what Andrew Landry's all about.
The PGA Tour rookie is ranked No. 624 in the world and was rendered inactive on Friday, save for the 10-foot putt he made to officially close out his first-round 66.
He'll begin his second round just after 7 a.m. Saturday and will need to grind through 36 holes in the spotlight while surrounded by household names like Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood.
The smart money is that he'll be a footnote by sundown.
But, as his college coach, Brad McMakin, told ESPN.com, who knows?
"Andrew is the kind of kid who doesn't care if he's playing in the U.S. Open or the Web.com Tour or a $10 game with his buddies," McMakin said. "He doesn't know he's at the U.S. Open. He doesn't care. If he continues to keep it in the fairway, yes, he has a chance."
Can Dustin Johnson Play Himself to a Collapse-Proof Position?
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If 36-hole performances are any indication, Dustin Johnson is ready to win a major. Again.
The father of Wayne Gretzky's grandchild is known far more for his epic collapses in spotlight tournaments than anything else, but the degree to which he's blitzed Oakmont for two days is stirring optimism.
"I played good this morning and it kinda carried over into this afternoon’s rounds," Johnson said in a post-round interview for Fox. "I thought I played really well all day. I didn’t roll in too many putts, but I made a lot of good putts and made a couple crucial par saves."
Johnson hit 25 consecutive greens in regulation through the ninth hole of his second round, played 27 straight holes without a bogey and his average driving distance of 320.9 yards led the first round.
More indicative of his readiness, though, is the "What happened last year?" reply when he was asked about the three-putt on the 72nd green that cost him the 2015 event.
"I'm in pretty good shape, so the physical part's no problem," he said. "But mentally you've got to make sure you stay sharp all day, because you can't go to sleep on any shot out here."
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