Shinnecock Hills cut line sends Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau home

Shinnecock Hills turned the U.S. Open into a survival test, and Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau landed on the wrong side of it. With the cut settling at 4 over par in the 156-player championship, the top 60-and-ties rule sent a long list of contenders home after 36 holes while wind, fog and a relentless setup squeezed the scoring.

Rahm looked positioned to control the tournament after opening with a 68, then reached the second round tied for second at 2 under. Shinnecock changed the equation fast. He shot 78 in round two and finished at 6 over, two strokes outside the cut. At a U.S. Open with no 10-shot safety net, one collapsing round was enough to erase the early advantage and end a weekend run that had seemed likely.

DeChambeau’s path was different but just as unforgiving. He opened with an even-par 70, then followed with a 75 that left him at 5 over and out of the championship. Reports pointed to early double bogeys and putting problems, a combination that proved fatal on a course that demanded patience as much as power. The result extended a difficult stretch in major championships, with back-to-back missed cuts at the Masters and PGA Championship before another exit at Shinnecock.

The broader picture was even harsher. Thursday’s first round was delayed by dense fog, and wind remained a major factor throughout the championship, turning a major site into a weeklong pressure cooker. Brooks Koepka, J.J. Spaun, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Cameron Smith and Patrick Reed were among the other notable names who failed to make it to the weekend, a reminder that pedigree carries little protection when the venue starts asking precise questions.

Shinnecock has done this before. When the Long Island course last hosted the U.S. Open in 2018, Brooks Koepka won and the cut line reached 8 over par. This year’s line at 4 over was less severe on paper, but the margin for error was still small enough to catch elite players. In the U.S. Open, reputation gets players into the field. Survival depends on handling the course better than everyone else.