US Open Golf 2018: Dustin Johnson Leads Friday; Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth Cut

Another day at Shinnecock Hills for the 2018 U.S. Open, another tough day for the field.

At least for those not named Dustin Johnson.

Many of the big names, like Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson, struggled with the windy conditions during Thursday's opening round. Well, Friday's second round wasn't much different (other than rain replacing the wind), and Johnson took control of the tournament despite the conditions.

Below is a look at how things stand at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, at the midway point.

2018 U.S. Open Leaderboard — Round 2

1. Dustin Johnson 67 (-4)

T2. Scott Piercy 71 (E)

T2. Charley Hoffman 69 (E)

T4. Tommy Fleetwood 66 (+1)

T4. Henrik Stenson 70 (+1)

T4. Justin Rose 70 (+1)

T4. Brooks Koepka 66 (+1)

T4. Ian Poulter 72 (+1)

T9. Russell Henley 73 (+2)

T9. Rickie Fowler 69 (+2) 

*Full leaderboard can viewed at the PGA Tour's official website

Can Dustin Johnson Maintain His Distance From Pack on Brutal Course?

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Few golfers have made it through the first two rounds at Shinnecock Hills this week without many mistakes. In fact, only one has shot better than a 70 on each of the first two days.

That golfer? Dustin Johnson. Aka the No. 1 golfer in the world.

Johnson has been great in 2018, piling up two wins and an additional five top-10 finishes. He produced a six-shot victory at last week's FedEx St. Jude Classic.

Well, he is back at it again early on in New York. 

The 33-year-old American found himself in a four-way tie atop the leaderboard after Day 1 thanks to a one-under 69 on Thursday. As his competitors dropped back on Friday, he took advantage.

With four birdies and just one bogey, he shot a three-under 67, giving him a four-shot lead.

As ESPN.com's Ian O'Connor pointed out, Johnson's touch has been key:

Johnson has been about the only golfer in the field to have any sort of sustained success on the course. That has a fellow top-ranked player, Jordan Spieth, impressed, via PGA Tour: "Dustin Johnson is arguably the most talented player on the PGA Tour. He's not only a freak athlete but a freak golf athlete."

While Johnson is in good position to win his second U.S. Open title, things can change in a hurry on this course. 

Star Power Lacking with Tiger, Rory and Spieth Missing the Cut

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

While Johnson has a grasp of the course, the same can't be said for other stars.

Woods (eight over in Round 1), McIlroy (10 over) and Spieth (eight over) all dug themselves enormous holes on Thursday. A rainy Day 2 didn't go much better for any of them, as they all finished the round below the cut line.

It appeared as though Woods was going to be able to shake off a rough opening round when he birdied the 10th to start the day:

However, his next 10 holes featured three bogeys and a double. That all but ensured he would miss the cut for the fifth time in his last seven majors and the 10th time in 78 career majors. 

"I'm not very happy the way I played and the way I putted," Woods said, via ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "I'm 10 over par. So I don't know that you can be too happy and too excited about 10 over par."

McIlroy's struggles carried over early on as well. He was 14 over for the tournament through the first 27 holes after posting two bogeys and a double bogey on the front nine on Friday. He recovered on the back nine, using four birdies to try to get under the cut line. However, it was too little to late.

Meanwhile, Spieth put himself in position to make the cut by catching fire late in the day. After recording just three birdies through the first 30 holes, he nabbed four in a row on the back nine to move to seven over.

Unfortunately for him, he bogeyed the final two holes to miss the cut by one stroke.

Ridiculous +8 Cut Line Bad For the Game

Warren Little/Getty Images

As much fun as it has been watching Johnson continue to beat up on the field for a second consecutive tournament, a tough course combined with wind and rain has sucked much of the intrigue out of the tournament.

Need proof? The cut line is at eight over.

ESPN.com's Bob Harig noted that the average score of 76.47 on Thursday was the highest at the U.S. Open for a first round in a quarter of a century. And while that could lead to some wild momentum swings on the course, it also means that golfers are not on top of their games.

There is just one golfer who is under par at the halfway point of the tournament. Two are at even, but the other 153 are all over.

The good news for golf fans is that while Johnson has opened up a lead, it is far from insurmountable. There are eight golfers within five shots of first, and on this course, the leaderboard can change quickly. 

What's Next?

The 2018 U.S. Open heats up at Shinnecock Hills as Round 3 gets underway on Saturday.