A year ago, Bryson DeChambeau arrived at the U.S. Open at Oakmont as the defending champion and one of golf’s most consistent major performers. Outside of a missed cut at the 2024 Open, DeChambeau entered last year’s U.S. Open with a win and four other top-six finishes in his last six major championships.
Since then, things have gone the other way.
DeChambeau missed the cut at Oakmont but rebounded with a T10 at Royal Portrush. That was the last time he played the weekend in a major. He triple-bogeyed the 18th on Friday to miss the cut at the Masters and then never had a chance to play the weekend at the PGA Championship at Aronimink. The two-time U.S. Open champion had been fighting a right miss with his irons and a left miss with his driver and woods. He told Flushing It he didn’t feel any pressure to make the cut this week at Shinnecock Hills given his recent run of poor major form.
“No. To be honest, missed cuts are gonna happen,” DeChambeau told Flushing It. “I might miss all four of them in majors this year. That’s just golf. Like, I’m playing great. I just haven’t shown up when it mattered most. But I’ve played well out here on LIV, and I’m working on my golf swing really hard, and, I feel like it’s in a really solid place. It’s very close to some of my best golf ever.”
DeChambeau arrived at Shinnecock with a new prototype TaylorMade driver in the bag and fired an opening-round 70 in tamer afternoon conditions. Then came Friday’s second round and DeChambeau’s major issues emerged on the east end of Long Island. He three-putted from 31 feet to make double bogey on the par-4 3rd and three-putted from 17 feet to double the 4th. He made the turn in three over and then made three bogeys and only one birdie coming home to shoot a five-over 75 and miss the cut by one shot.
DeChambeau has now missed four of his last five major cuts and has missed the weekend in back-to-back U.S. Opens since his win at Pinehurst No. 2.
Here are 11 surprising players who missed the cut at Shinnecock Hills. Players at four over or better will play the weekend (a few players will finish their second round on Saturday morning, but the cut will not move).
What he shot: 70-75
Why it’s surprising: DeChambeau continues to play poorly when it matters most and now will arrive at the Open having not played a weekend in a major since last July in Northern Ireland.
What he shot: 76-69
Why it’s surprising: Hovland was in the mix on Sunday at last year’s U.S. Open and has been able to grind out good major rounds while he continues to iron out issues in his swing. But a brutal opening round in easier conditions doomed his chances at Shinnecock.
What he shot: 68-78
Why it’s surprising: Rahm is coming off a PGA Championship that he had a chance to win at Aronimink. He has been playing well and opened this U.S. Open with a bogey-free 68 to enter the second round squarely in the mix. But his putter betrayed him on Friday as Rahm missed six putts inside 10 feet, and his double bogey at the par-5 16th was the final blow in a second-round 78 and a missed cut.
What he shot: 71-74
Why it’s surprising: Prior to his last two starts on the PGA Tour, Fowler had been one of the most consistent golfers in the world in 2026. He opened with a solid 71 in the harder conditions but couldn’t keep it going Friday afternoon and will leave Long Island early.
What he shot: 73-73
Why it’s surprising: The missed cut isn’t surprising, but it’s how Lowry’s form has dipped since he imploded in the final round of the Cognizant Classic in March that is shocking. Since that Sunday in the Palm Beaches, Lowry doesn’t have a top 20 and will not play the weekend at Shinnecock. “Golf is just not agreeing with me at the moment; I’m not enjoying it,” Lowry said after his round on Friday, via the Irish Independent.
What he shot: 74-72
Why it’s surprising: Cantlay continues to not be a factor at major championships, and his plans for a U.S. Open weekend were buried on his final hole Friday when he three-putted from 12 feet to fall to six over and erase any chance he had of playing two more rounds at Shinnecock.
What he shot: 75-71
Why it’s surprising: Smith finally showed signs of life at the PGA Championship at Aronimink and arrived at Shinnecock as a trendy sleeper. A talented wind player, Smith has the game and temperament to answer the questions that Shinnecock asks. But a front-nine 41 on Thursday put Smith behind the eight ball, and he was unable to claw his way back in the tougher side of the draw.
What he shot: 73-77
Why it’s surprising: Koepka won the last U.S. Open at Shinnecock and has been playing well this season outside of a temperamental putter. He withdrew last week due to an ulnar nerve issue that caused weakness in his hand, but said he was improving and felt ready to go in the lead-up to the championship. He played 17 good holes on Thursday before a closing double bogey sent him plummeting down the board. On Friday, he battled well for nine holes but then came home in 41 to shoot a seven-over 77 and post a two-day score of 10 over.
What he shot: 72-73
Why it’s surprising: Reed was in the hunt at the Masters and played well at the PGA despite the unorthodox prep of playing zero tournaments between the year’s first two majors. He’s a grinder who embraces tough tests, and Shinnecock seemed to suit what he does well. But Reed struggled off the tee and on the greens and will leave the Hamptons early.
What he shot: 73-75
Why it’s surprising: Playing in his 100th consecutive major, many expected Scott to put himself in the mix once again as he tries to hunt down a second major. But the 45-year-old lost strokes everywhere but the greens and was out of the picture by the time he made the turn on Friday.
What he shot: 77-71
Why it’s surprising: The defending U.S. Open champion has been playing good golf of late. He won in Texas in March and put himself in the mix at Colonial and Memorial after a putter change a few weeks ago. But Spaun shot an opening-round 77 and exited the tournament early.
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