[US Open] 'Number 7' Morikawa Leads "Storm Shots with 4-Under in Strong Winds"... Kim Joo-hyung Surprises at 24th Place

Third Major 122nd US Open Day Two: Defending Champion Jon Rahm and McIlroy Tied for 3rd, 'LIV Golf' Johnson Tied for 31st

Collin Morikawa is reading the putting line on the 8th hole during the second day of the 122nd US Open, his "third major." Brooklyn, USA = Getty Images / Multibits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "4-under par daily best."

This time, ‘Number 7’ Collin Morikawa took over the baton. On the 18th (Korean time), at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, USA (par 70, 7,264 yards), during the second day of the 122nd US Open, the third major of this season (total prize money $17.5 million), he posted a 4-under par daily best amid strong winds and immediately took the top spot on the leaderboard (5-under par 135). Joel Dahmen (both from the USA) joined him in a tie for first place, while defending champion Jon Rahm (Spain) and Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) are chasing in a tie for third place (4-under par 136).

Morikawa is a ‘two-time major champion’ with wins at the PGA Championship in August 2020 and The Open last July. He has been frustrated several times just short of victory, finishing runner-up twice at The CJ Cup in October and the Genesis Championship last February. It is noteworthy that with this win, he could collect his third trophy among the four different majors. This means he is building momentum toward a ‘career Grand Slam.’

On this day, he recorded five birdies and one bogey. Starting at the 10th hole (par 4), he gained momentum with ‘stepping stone birdies’ at the 12th and 14th holes, then added birdies consecutively at the 17th hole (par 4) and the first hole of the back nine (par 4). His green hit rate of 77.78% showcased his ‘pinpoint iron shots,’ complemented by an average of 1.61 putts per hole with ‘stingy putting.’ Although he made a bogey with a ‘3-on 2-putt’ at the 4th hole (par 4), he finished on a high note with an ‘eagle-like birdie’ at the 8th hole (par 5).

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is teeing off at the 15th hole on the second day of the 122nd US Open. Brooklyn, USA ? Photo by Getty Images/Multivitz

Among the leaders, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is tied for 8th place (3-under par 137), and ‘three-time champion’ Sam Burns is tied for 13th (2-under par 138), showing a strong presence of PGA Tour players. It is interesting that many players who recently joined LIV Golf, led by Saudi Arabia, have also appeared. Dustin Johnson is tied for 31st (1-over par 141), while Phil Mickelson was cut after struggling with an 11-over par in the second round.

Scheffler’s attempt to achieve simultaneous wins at the Masters and US Open is another big news story. Brooks Koepka, the ‘two-time consecutive winner’ in 2017-2018, is tied for 24th (even par 140), and Justin Thomas (both from the USA), the ‘PGA Championship champion’ from last May, is tied for 31st, challenging for ‘back-to-back major wins.’ From Korea, ‘Asian Tour money leader’ Kim Joo-hyung (20) improved by two strokes to tie for 24th, while ‘AT&T champion’ Lee Kyoung-hoon (31) finished tied for 55th (3-over par 143).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.