Sam Burns posts 65, ends up with U.S. Open lead at Oakmont - ESPN

OAKMONT, Pa. — Sam Burns avoided a repeat of the meltdown that ruined his opening round at the U.S. Open and wound up with a big par save on his last hole for a 5-under 65 and the 36-hole lead. Best of all, he was long gone before the real calamity arrived late Friday afternoon at Oakmont.

Rory McIlroy threw a club in disgust and smashed a tee marker. For punishment, he gets to come back for two more rounds because he birdied the 18th to make the cut.

Shane Lowry absentmindedly picked up his golf ball on the 14th green without marking it.

Thriston Lawrence became the only player to reach 6 under par. He promptly made six bogeys and a double bogey over his next nine holes.

Thomas Detry can appreciate the suffering. He was challenging for the lead until three straight double bogeys.

And then there was Phil Mickelson, in what likely is his 34th and final U.S. Open. He was just outside the top 20 until two double bogeys in his last four holes for a 74 to miss the cut.

The cut might not be official until Saturday morning. If the second round wasn't brutal enough, play was halted by bad weather just as Lawrence had a 4-foot putt on the last hole to finish a wild round that was approaching six hours. The day ended with rain pounding the course and 13 players yet to finish.

Scottie Scheffler, coming off three wins in his past four starts, had his sixth straight round over par in the U.S. Open with a game that didn't look familiar. He still scratched out a 71 and was seven shots behind.

Burns was a regular birdie machine — at Oakmont, no less — playing in the morning under cloud cover and little wind and flushing his irons so well that all six of his birdies were inside 10 feet.

He was at 3-under 137, one shot ahead of J.J.