Any weather concerns that surfaced earlier have vanished, meaning that the 2024 US Open, the 124th of its kind, will finish on time and without distraction nor interruption. Golfers that posted plus-six or higher have missed the cut, reducing the field of competitors to 74. The likes of Viktor Hovland, Max Homa, Will Zalatoris and, yes, Tiger Woods, will not figure any longer, in the outcome of this year’s playing. The leader stands currently at minus-five, and has 19 other golfers at even-par or better, heading into the weekend.

Neither of the day-one leaders succeeded in shooting below par on day two, so the lead did not stretch over the second 18 holes. Will something similar happen on Saturday? Will a golfer rise from the chasers, to seize the 54-hole lead?  It’s quite early to say, but certainly the Open will not be won on Saturday. It will be lost by more than a handful, so grab your snacks and buckle up for a Carolina shoot-out on day three. As for five things that we learned on day two, we have them!

Incredible effort from that spot.

Catch @Maxhoma and the rest of the Featured Groups on our Live Stream presented by @AmericanExpress.

Watch: https://t.co/JJ7Guy3ZHI pic.twitter.com/wxJER7WV4E

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

1. Ludvig the Oh-Bear leads the Open

Ludvig Aberg posted one of the 24 rounds under 70 on Friday. Those scores ranged down to the 66 posted by Hideki Matsuyama. Aberg made half as many birdies (three) as he did on Thursday, but he also made just two bogeys, the same number as day one. It’s safe to say that Aberg will take two bogeys per round over the next two days, as long as no big numbers creep onto his scorecard. 2024 may be his first US Open, but history is filled with first-time winners. It has been a while for this national championship, so why not this year?

Solid Quote: … I played the U.S. Amateur here a couple years ago. I think just with the way those greens are, when it gets really firm, and just because you don’t really have any bail-out areas, you’ve just got to take on the golf shots and see where it ends up, and if you don’t pull it off, you’re going to have a really tricky short game shot. I think it’s a challenging golf course, but once again, that’s the way it was supposed to be.

Early fireworks from Ludvig Åberg! ?

The young Swede is tied for the lead. pic.twitter.com/UsYNDOi58H

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

2. Three x Four equals ???

Bryson DeChabeau, Thomas Detry, and Patrick Cantlay all concluded play on Friday evning at 136 total strokes. Cantlay and Detry will tee on in the penultimate pairing, while DeChambeau will match wills with the second-round leader in the day’s final game.

Detry reached six-under par through 14 holes, before two late bogeys brought him back to the field. The Belgian had nine one-putt greens on day two at Pinehurst. His T4 finish at this year’s PGA Championship gave him a bit of experience on how to manage his game through the waning moments of a major. Can he repeat the achievement in Pinehurst?

Cantlay was not the same golfer that signed for 65 on Thursday. He posted but three birdies on Friday, and stumbled with double at eight, and a pair of bogeys on the inward side. As for DeChambeau, he was able to achieve the all important ratio of more-birdies-than-bogeys for a second consecutive day. Which of the three will persevere, and feature on Sunday?

Solid Quote: I (Detry) always tend to do better at courses where pars gains on the field. I feel like this week, you make a par, you gain on the field, keep moving on. I always seem to do better that way. It puts a little bit less pressure on my putting. When I have a birdie chance, it’s like a bonus. I’ve done a great job of taking advantage of it today, I think.

Ludivg went first, and Patrick answered!

Two leaders tied at -6. pic.twitter.com/0IDhQ2nJWw

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

3. Trio at three-deep has eyes on a day-three move

Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, and Matthieu Pavon finished play on day two at 137 strokes. Neither Rory nor Pavon was able to produce a second consecutive round under par, but they did what was necessary, during a round when they had much less than their best. As for Finau, his move to a new putting grip paid off, and he posted 69 to move inside the top five. Much like the three-pack mentioned in point number two, we have an outsider, a potential winner, and a favorite in this group. Among these three, the standout will certainly be …

Solid Quote:  It’s just work. As I (Pavon) say, work, discipline, learning from the past mistakes you’ve done. The most dangerous guy is the one that learns from mistakes. That’s my opinion. I failed a lot. Helped me to understand a couple things in my game, in my swing. I finally got my first win in Europe. Bring me a lot of confidence because it was showing to me and myself that we were on the right road on everything we were, like, doing in terms of training and stuff like that.

Tony, Tony, Tony!@tonyfinaugolf joins the pack at -4. pic.twitter.com/ujl2OCh1QZ

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

4. Hideki rebounds with perfect card

There was a point on Thursday, during a tournament feed, when one of the commentaors contrasted Hideki’s win at Augusta in 2021 with his struggles on Pinehurst’s greens. Between that time and Friday evening, Hideki figured out those putting surfaces, to the tune of four birdies and zero bogeys. What’s frightening is, Matsuyama (see below) still feels that there is room for improvement. Imagine if he straightens out the other facets of his game!

Solid Quote:  I feel like my short game is really good. Feel like there’s plenty of adjustment to my iron game. Hopefully I can adjust that through the week.

Have a day, Hideki! ??

Matsuyama with the 8th bogey-free round in U.S. Open history at Pinehurst No. 2. pic.twitter.com/XRIaLrAJe4

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

5. Prediction time!

I’m happy to provide a few predictions, to get you through the morning hours on Saturday. My prescience is unrivaled by any, and my predictive abilities have no equal. I may not be Francesco Molinari, who brought drama to a new level with a 36th-hole ace to make the cut, but I do know a thing or two about major championships. Without delay, here are a few predictions about Saturday at Pinehurst:

Leader after three rounds: Bryson DeChambeau

Falls away, predictably: Matthieu Pavon

Falla away, unexpectadly: Patrick Cantlay

Struggles, but sticks around: Ludvig Alberg and Rory McIlroy

Jumps into the mix, thanks to a 65: Billy Horschel

Solid Quote: (in case you forgot how difficult this is, courtesy of the defending champion, Wyndham Clark) If you miss a green, even though you give yourself all the green in the world, it should be somewhat of an easy up-and-down, but you’re into the grain on your chip and then you have to go uphill and then downgrain. It was just difficult. It’s really easy to make bogeys out here.

Final hole. Par 3. Two strokes above the projected cut.

Then this happened for @F_Molinari! ? ? pic.twitter.com/3R3amEx6E0

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024