US Open Leaderboard 2018: Updating Results and Standings for Friday
The first 18 holes of the 2018 U.S. Open produced carnage throughout the leaderboard.
Only five of the 156 golfers entered in the tournament carded a score of even par or better, with the worst score on the opposite end of the leaderboard being a 92.
With the cut looming Friday, most of the golfers at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York will be in survival mode as they hope to make it to the weekend.
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The marquee names begin to hit the course in the fifth set of threesomes, and with the last big-name group teeing off late in the round, we could witness over 12 hours of pressure-packed golf with weekend berths on the line.
U.S. Open Leaderboard
Scott Piercy (-1)
Ian Poulter (-1)
Dustin Johnson (-1)
Russell Henley (-1)
Jason Dufner (E)
Matthieu Pavon (+1)
Justin Rose (+1)
Charles Howell (+1)
Charley Hoffman (+1)
Sam Burns (+1)
Henrik Stenson (+1)
Byeong Hun An (+1)
Full leaderboard can be found here.
Some Of Golf's Top Names Trying To Avoid Missing Cut
It takes you a while to scroll down the leaderboard to find some of golf's top names.
Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson shot a first-round 77, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Tiger Woods and Adam Scott carded 78s, Jason Day and Charl Schwartzel shot nine-over 79s and Rory McIlroy stunned us all with an 80.
McIlroy, who sits 11 shots back of the four leaders, tied his all-time worst round of 10-over Thursday, per ESPN Stats & Info:
Mickelson's 77 was the worst opening-round mark he's set in 27 U.S. Open appearances, per PGA Tour Communications:
You could go down the list of disappointing first-round performers and find similar statistics, but despite how poor some of the sport's top names performed, a handful of them have an opportunity to make the cut.
The brutal conditions Thursday put most of the field in a bad spot on the leaderboard, which means the projected cut line could be higher than expected.
When the Friday afternoon tee times roll around, most of the focus will be on McIlroy, Mickelson and Spieth, who tee off at 1:47 p.m. ET from the first tee.
Watson, Day and Schwartzel start their respective rounds shortly before the marquee threesome, which means Friday afternoon's action could be more about making the cut than climbing into the top 10.
Can Leaders Extend Strong Starts Into Friday?
The five players who shot par or better Thursday have a massive advantage over the rest of the field, as they will be playing with confidence and a bit of a cushion to rely on if they decide to take a few risks.
Of the five leaders, Dustin Johnson and Jason Dufner are major winners, while Scott Piercy tied for second at the 2016 U.S. Open.
Ian Poulter and Russell Henley haven't experienced a ton of success at major competitions, but they have another chance to reverse their fortunes at Shinnecock Hills.
When he won the U.S. Open in 2016, Johnson established his dominance at the top of the leaderboard right away and kept his position over the duration of 72 holes.
Piercy produced a similar performance at Oakmont Country Club, Pennsylvania, but he wasn't able to keep up with Johnson on the weekend.
Dufner broke away from the field during his lone major victory in the second round at the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, New York.
If you're looking for one of the five golfers to take charge Friday, Johnson is the best man for the job, as he leads the PGA Tour in second-round scoring average.
Piercy is 25th with an average second-round score of 69.94, while Poulter sits in a tie for 27th with an average of 70.
Henley and Dufner have the worst second-round averages of the group, as Henley is tied for 79th on the PGA Tour and Dufner sits in a tie for 117th.
Although the course is going to be tough to tame once again, expect a few of the leaders to bank off their experience to open up a gap, with Johnson looking like the perfect player to fill that role.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90
Statistics obtained from PGATour.com
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