2011 U.S. Open Cut Line: Day 2's Most Memorable Moments

After two days at the 2011 U.S. Open Championship, there really is only one story worth writing about.

Rory McIlroy continued his record-setting pace, firing a five-under-par 66 as he opened a six-shot lead on a Congressional Country Club course that has been shockingly beaten into submission by the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland.

McIlroy's 11-under-par start is the lowest 36-hole total in the U.S. Open. Ever.

And it quite possibly could be the best 36 holes played in a major championship. Ever.

You simply don't get your score to 13-under-par at a U.S. Open. But McIlroy did today.

He achieved that number with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 before a double-bogey on the final hole allowed the distant competition to think they might still have a fighting chance on the weekend.

But do they really?

McIlroy will be continually reminded that he relinquished a six-shot lead after three rounds at The Masters Tournament just two months ago. How he responds to that unpleasant memory this weekend remains to be seen.

No lead is ever safe, but McIlroy has a stronghold on the biggest tournament of his life right now.

McIlroy's closest competitor is South Korea's Y.E. Yang who, despite being six shots back, holds an impressive five-under-par total after two rounds. Yang birdied four holes today on his way to a two-under 69.

On the strength of a 45-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole, Zach Johnson shot his lowest round ever in a U.S. Open—a two-under 69. The former Masters champion hasn't had much success in this major championship. A T45 was his best finish in 1997. He's a whopping nine shots off the lead right now. But if McIlroy falters, Johnson will be among a talented group waiting to seize the moment.

McIlroy wasn't the only player to double-bogey the last hole. One of his playing partners, Phil Mickelson, suffered a similar fate but still managed a two-under-par 69 in the second round. As was the case in his opening round, Mickelson utilized a deft short game to keep himself in contention, if you want to call it that, at one over par.

Again, I hesitate to use the word "contention," but Sergio Garcia is among the leaders heading into the weekend in a major for the first time since the 2008 PGA Championship. Garcia admittedly didn't bring his A-game today, but his two-under-par two-day total will put him in the second to last group Saturday.

Those high profile names who are surprisingly projected to miss the cut include K.J. Choi (plus-eight), former U.S. Open champions Angel Cabrerra (plus-eight), Ernie Els (plus-six) and Jim Furyk (plus-seven), Hunter Mahan (plus-five), former British Open champion Stewart Cink (plus-five), Ian Poulter (plus-six) and Nick Watney (plus-six) among others.