Jordan Spieth Struggles Late at US Open 2018 on Friday, Misses Cut

Jordan Spieth enjoyed a back-nine surge that featured four straight birdies, but it wasn't enough to survive the cut in the 2018 U.S. Open.

He shot a one-over 71 in Friday's second round at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.

The 2015 tournament champion finished at nine over in the season's second major, which left him one shot below the cut line. He'd made just three birdies over his first 30 holes before the sudden charge that was partially offset by closing back-to-back bogeys.

Spieth tallied five birdies, four bogeys and a double bogey in Round 2.

Spieth Fails to Capitalize on U.S. Open Hot Streak

Spieth finally looked like a three-time major champion for a while Friday. His entertaining trip on the birdie train came to a crashing halt late in the round, though.

The 24-year-old Texas native endured a roller coaster of emotions over the final nine holes. He looked likely to miss the cut after his bogey on the 11th, but the four-hole birdie run pushed him inside the projected cut. Finishing with two pars would have guaranteed him a spot on the weekend tee list.

Instead, he dropped one shot each on Nos. 17 and 18 to fall back below the cut line.

It's hard to imagine Spieth suffering the same fate if he'd been playing better golf in recent months. But he's struggled, and that has carried over to the U.S. Open. His play outside of holes 13 through 16 simply wasn't on a level to contend with Johnson, who's played lights-out on an extraordinarily difficult course.

Although there's no doubt the talent is still there—he showcased it for about an hour Friday afternoon—consistency is of the utmost importance when trying to win majors. The final two holes illustrated the star's frustration with that portion of the game right now.

Spieth Misses Opportunity to Get Back On Track in Major Play

Spieth finished third during the Masters in April. He's made five starts since coming up just short at Augusta, missing two cuts and failing to crack the top 20 in any event.

The U.S. Open represented a chance to utilize the spotlight to achieve a return to form. Instead, he's continued to make too many mistakes at inopportune moments.

A prime example was the 18th hole Friday. His approach shot landed in the rough just off the green. An up-and-down par would have been enough to clinch a weekend berth, but he chunked the chip and left himself a mid-range attempt for par, which he failed to convert.

Spieth must iron out those issues before the Open Championship in late July. He's got the game to make up a lot of strokes in a short period of time, which is a significant advantage on the tricky major courses, but he can't afford so many miscues, especially in clutch situations.

His late errors Friday cost him dearly. Now he'll have to wait until next month for another chance to shine on one of golf's biggest stages.

What's Next?

Spieth is scheduled to play in the 2018 Travelers Championship next week. For now, that's the only event on his docket before the British Open, but he's likely to spend a lot of time on practice putting greens in the coming weeks in an effort to break the funk with his putter.