Recapping the U.S. Open at Oakmont through the completed first round and suspended second on June 14th, 2025, where Sam Burns fired a historic 65 to lead a "war of attrition" that saw stars struggle and many miss the cut.

• Sam Burns defied Oakmont's "war of attrition," firing a stunning second-round 65 to grab the U.S. Open lead at three-under, showcasing intense focus on a course where "There are no ‘gimme’ holes."
• Supporting stat or quote: Burns's 65 is historically significant; he called Oakmont's greens "exceptionally difficult."
• Human angle or fun fact: Scottie Scheffler described Burns as "hyper competitive."

• Round one leader J.J. Spaun (66) called his R2 72 a "true U.S. Open round" to sit at two-under, while Viktor Hovland (-1) noted the slow pace helped him "reset mentally." Adam Scott (E) believes his major window is still "Ajar."
• Supporting stat or quote: Spaun's R1 66 tied Oakmont's opening round low for a U.S. Open.
• Human angle or fun fact: Hovland found a silver lining in the slow play, using it to his mental advantage.

• Pre-tournament favorites stumbled: Scottie Scheffler (+4) admitted "Mentally, this was as tough as I've battled," Jon Rahm (+4) was "too annoyed," Rory McIlroy (+6) barely made the cut, and Brooks Koepka (+2) confessed to poor recent form.
• Supporting stat or quote: Scheffler insisted, "At the U.S. Open I don't think you're ever out of the tournament."
• Human angle or fun fact: Paul McGinley noted Rory McIlroy's "low energy" amid his continued media silence and visible frustration.

• The brutal +7 cut claimed major champions Bryson DeChambeau (+10), who found the rough "incredibly penalizing," Justin Thomas (+12), Dustin Johnson (+10), and Phil Mickelson (+8), as Oakmont lived up to its fearsome reputation.
• Supporting stat or quote: DeChambeau admitted the course "got me"; Tyrrell Hatton called the greens an "optical illusion."
• Human angle or fun fact: Denny McCarthy described playing Oakmont as "a punch in the face"; Si Woo Kim bluntly stated, "too hard for me."

Jason Day's R2 67 comeback • Patrick Reed's rare double eagle • Victor Perez's hole-in-one • Amateur Justin Hastings contending for low am • Pervasive slow pace of play • Unique 9th green also a practice area

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