After winning his first U.S. Open trophy during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bryson DeChambeau sits atop the golf world again.

On Sunday, the American won the U.S. Open competition held at Pinehurst Golf Course in North Carolina for his second major championship.

DeChambeau led the tournament on Sunday afternoon by posting a 67 the day before. However, he lost control early on, shooting +1 on the front nine as the competition closed. After bogeying the 12th and 15 holes, he sat tied at -6 with Rory McIlroy with three holes remaining. Mcllroy, one of the most famous names in golf, has not won a major in ten years and seemed destined to overtake DeChambeau.

However, Mcllroy imploded down the stretch.

After a streak of 492 straight made putts within four feet, the Northern Irishman missed two in a row of that variety on 16 and 18, which opened the door for his American rival.

DeChambeau did not make it easy on himself and found himself in the bunker for his third shot on 18, 55 yards away from the cup, with a hole position high up that could cause most shots to roll off. In an all-time clutch shot, the 30-year-old delicately maneuvered out of the sand, and his ball laid four feet away for an easy par putt that sealed the deal. Even though he went +1 for the round, DeChambeau clinched the title with a -6, while Mcllroy’s drought continued as he lost by one stroke.

Frustrated by his collapse, Mcllroy left the course immediately and did not talk to the media after his round. He later released a statement congratulating DeChambeau on his win.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau took it all in and became one with the crowd. He let as many fans as possible to touch the silver cup as he paraded it around the course. After winning, he went on the Golf Channel to detail his incredible third shot on 18.

After five grueling sets, Carlos Alcaraz finally put away Jannik Sinner to win his U.S. Open quarterfinal early Wednesday morning and advance to the semifinals. The third seed in the tournament still has a chance of becoming the youngest No. 1 in the history of men’s tennis following two straight victories in five sets.

“I always say you have to believe in yourself all the time,” Alcaraz said after the match. “The hope is the last thing that you lose.”

Beginning at 9:35 p.m. on Wednesday and ending at 2:50 a.m. on Thursday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Alcaraz’s match against Sinner took five hours and 15 minutes, making it the second longest in U.S. Open history and the latest to finish. The Spanish 19-year-old was coming off a five-set victory against 15th seed Marin Čilić.

Alcaraz took the first set Wednesday in fairly convincing fashion but lost the next two to Skinner in brutal tiebreaking fashion over the course of several hours. Facing match point, he came back to win the last two as night turned into early morning in an enduring upstart performance.

“I still don’t know how I did it,” Alcaraz said.

With current No. 1 Daniil Medvedev and perennial contender Rafael Nadal out of the tournament following early defeats, Alcaraz is one of a handful of players who could take over the top position with a win in the tournament. Though Nadal could technically still earn the spot, Alcaraz and fifth seed Casper Ruud control their own destinies in semifinal matchups Friday afternoon.

To make it to the final, Alcaraz will have to defeat American player Frances Tiafoe, who is making his own storied run in the tournament after defeating Nadal in the Round of 16 and becoming the first Black man to make it to the semifinals since Arthur Ashe himself in 1972.

Meanwhile, Ruud will 27th seed Karen Khachanov, the least familiar face in the quartet who defeated 12th seed Pablo Carreno Busta in the Round of 16. If Alcaraz and Ruud both win their semifinal matchups, they will play in the final for the world’s top ranking.

In what was supposed to be the final match of her illustrious career, Serena Williams pulled off a massive upset in the second round of the U.S. Open Wednesday night.

By defeating Anett Kontaveit, currently ranked second in the world in women’s singles competition, in three sets, Williams has bought herself at least one more match in a run that could become legendary.

Because of her 23 Grand Slam titles, Williams is not the sort of player many would consider an underdog, but the magnitude of her victory against Kontaveit cannot be understated.

Williams’ last Grand Slam tournament victory came in 2017, and going into her second-round U.S. Open matchup, she had only played in five matches in 2022.

Before the tournament began, Williams announced her retirement on Aug. 9 and said that the U.S. Open would be her last appearance in professional tennis. A loss at any point now will end her career.

Many suspected that it would all come to a close against Kontaveit, with celebrities like Tiger Woods, Spike Lee, Zendaya and many more in attendance likely prepared to send off the greatest player in the history of her sport in style.

Instead, the record crowd of nearly 30,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium saw a battle from the opening serve, as Williams fought voraciously to seize a competitive first set before coming back to take the third in commanding fashion and win.

The victory stops the clock for now but the road ahead is long. In a 10-round tournament, it’s easy for Williams’ fans to dream of a return to the U.S. Open Finals following her shocking upset win. Her potential run is already drawing comparisons to Woods’ return to glory in the 2019 Masters – and it hasn’t even happened yet. But for the 40-year-old legend, enjoying the moment after the match was what mattered.

“It’s no rush here,” Williams said in an interview after the match. “I’m loving this crowd. Oh my goodness. It’s really fantastic. So there’s a little left in me.”

At another point in her interview, the on-court reporter asked Williams if she was surprised at her performance against Kontaveit, and the improbable winner’s reaction told the story better than any eloquent response. She laughed. Then she replied, ”I’m just Serena.”

Williams’ next match will be against 29-year-old Australian-Croatian player Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday.

Once 50-1 to win the tournament, Williams is now one of the favorites and may not have to face another ranked player until the fifth round.

Rafael Nadal has ended his 2021 tennis season early because of a left foot issue. The tennis legend cannot partake in this month’s US Open because of the left foot issue that has been troubling him for a year.

Nadal, who is ranked fourth in the world, suffered an early exit in Washington this month, where he kicked off his leadup to the final Grand Slam of the year.

Nadal’s left foot issue flared up at the French Open, and he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Just last week, Nadal pulled out of Masters 1000 event in Toronto because of his left foot.

“I wanted to inform you that, unfortunately, I have to end the 2021 season,” Nadal tweeted in Spanish.

“Honestly, I have been suffering much more than I should with my foot for a year, and I need to take some time to find a solution to this problem or at least improve it to continue to have options for the next few years,” Nadal said. “I’m with the maximum enthusiasm and predisposition to do whatever it takes to recover the best possible shape to keep competing for the things that really motivate me. I’m convinced that with the recovery of the foot and obviously a very important daily effort … this can be achieved. I will work as hard as I can to make it happen.”

Nadal’s rival and fellow 20-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer withdrew from the US Open and is sidelined for months because he needs knee surgery.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many sports to change around their schedule, and the PGA Tour is no exception to that. The PGA Tour suspended its season following the first round of the Players Championship back in March. One of the biggest events on the golf calendar every year is the U.S. Open. The tournament considered ‘America’s Championship’ is now making drastic changes, aside from moving from June to September.

On Monday, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced that they will be canceling all qualifying events for the U.S. Open. The USGA said that given the COVID-19 situation it would be too difficult to have qualifying events.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

One of the things that makes the U.S. Open great is that anyone can qualify for the championship, regardless if they are a professional or an amatuer, with more than half the field typically being players who qualify in the week leading up to the tournament. 

Last night on Golf Central, John Bodenhamer of the USGA spoke about the decision. “As you can imagine, this was an incredibly difficult decision, as qualifying is a cornerstone of the USGA championships,” he said. “We take great pride in the fact that many thousands typically enter to pursue their dream of qualifying for the U.S. Open, and we deeply regret that they will not have that opportunity this year. But this structure provides the best path forward for us to conduct the U.S. Open in 2020.”

One notable player who has yet to qualify for this year’s championship is six-time runner up Phil Mickelson, who needs to win the U.S. Open to complete the career grand slam

The U.S. Open will be played this year at Winged Foot in Westchester County, New York starting September 14.

Tickets for the 120th U.S. Open have gone on sale ahead of the historic golf tournament that will tee off on June 18, 2020. It’s better to get them early as they usually sell out very quickly. The championship is the third of four majors played during the year on the PGA and European Tour schedules.

GET DEALS ON US OPEN GOLF TICKETS HERE!

The U.S. Open will tee off on June 18 from the prominent Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaronek, New York. Golfers can participate next spring through qualifying or via exemptions. Any competitor that has qualified for the Tour Championship on the PGA Tour automatically makes the cut while the winner of the BMW Championship on the European tour is also guaranteed a spot. The winner of the U.S. Senior Open and the winner of the last three Players Championships will also be in the tournament.

Other players can get in with exemption in at least one of 17 categories. Here is the current list of qualified participants, according to the USGA:

Bold: First time a player is listed

Winners of the U.S. Open Championship the last 10 years:
Gary Woodland (2019)
Brooks Koepka (2018)
Brooks Koepka (2017)
Dustin Johnson (2016)
Jordan Spieth (2015)
Martin Kaymer (2014)
Justin Rose (2013)
Webb Simpson (2012)
Rory McIlroy (2011)
Graeme McDowell (2010)

From the 2019 U.S. Open Championship, the 10 lowest scorers and anyone tying for 10th place:
Gary Woodland
Brooks Koepka
Xander Schauffele
Jon Rahm
Chez Reavie
Justin Rose
Adam Scott
Louis Oosthuizen
Henrik Stenson
Chesson Hadley
Rory McIlroy

Winner of the 2019 U.S. Senior Open Championship:
Steve Stricker

Winner of the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship:
Andy Ogletree

Winners of the 2019 U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Mid-Amateur Championships, and the 2019 U.S. Amateur runner-up (must be an amateur):
Preston Summerhays (U.S. Junior Amateur)
Lukas Michel (U.S. Mid-Amateur)
John Augenstein (U.S. Amateur runner-up)

Winners of the Masters Tournament the last five years (2016-2000):
Tiger Woods (2019)
Patrick Reed (2018)
Sergio Garcia (2017)
Danny Willett (2016)

Winners of the PGA of America Championship from 2015-2020 (NOTE: USGA will file blank entry for player who becomes exempt after close of entries):
Brooks Koepka (2019)
Brooks Koepka (2018)
Justin Thomas (2017)
Jimmy Walker (2016)
Jason Day (2015)

Winners of The Open Championship conducted by The R&A the last five years (2015-19):
Shane Lowry (2019)
Francesco Molinari (2018)
Jordan Spieth (2017)
Henrik Stenson (2016)
Zach Johnson (2015)
Winners of The Players Championship in the last three years (2018-2020):
Rory McIlroy (2019)
Webb Simpson (2018)

Winner of the 2019 European BMW Championship:
Danny Willett

Those players qualifying for the season-ending 2019 Tour Championship:
Rory McIlroy
Xander Schauffele
Justin Thomas
Brooks Koepka
Paul Casey
Adam Scott
Tony Finau
Chez Reavie
Patrick Reed
Kevin Kisner
Hideki Matsuyama
Bryson DeChambeau
Jon Rahm
Jason Kokrak
Gary Woodland
Tommy Fleetwood
Webb Simpson
Matt Kuchar
Sung Jae Im
Rickie Fowler
Louis Oosthuizen
Abraham Ancer
Patrick Cantlay
Marc Leishman
Brandt Snedeker
Justin Rose
Corey Conners
Charles Howell III
Dustin Johnson
Lucas Glover

Multiple winners of PGA Tour events that award full-point allocation for the season-ending Tour Championship, from the conclusion of the 2019 U.S. Open to the initiation of the 2020 U.S. Open. (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after the close of entries):

Justin Thomas
Winner of 2019 Amateur Championship conducted by The R&A (must be an amateur):
James Sugrue

Winner of the 2019 Mark H. McCormack Medal (Men’s World Amateur  Golf Ranking; must be an amateur):
Cole Hammer

From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 points leaders and ties as of May 18, 2020. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after close of entries):
To be determined on May 18, 2020

From the current Official World Golf Ranking, the top 60 points leaders and ties as of June 15, 2020. Players must select a qualifying site at the time of entry. (NOTE: Blank entries will be filed by the USGA for players who become exempt after close of entries):
To be determined on June 15, 2020

Special exemptions selected by the USGA
TBD

The 148th British Open started early on Thursday morning in Portrush, Northern Ireland. Rory McIlory, native of Northern Ireland, didn’t start off the way he wanted to, hitting a quadruple-bogey on his first tee-off.

McIlory’s opening drive was struck out of bounds and hit a bystander, cracking the screen of her phone while it was in her pocket.

After hitting the ball out of bounds on his tee-off and acquiring an extra one-stroke, the Irishman re-hit his tee shot into the rough, this time on the left side. With three shots already tallied up, he took his fourth shot and ended up in the rough outside the green. He luckily recovered well, or it would have ended worse for him. He two-putted and finished hole one by computing eight strokes.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

“I’m just treating this like any other Open Championship,” McIlroy said, according to ESPN. “I’ve played well here for the last few years. I’ve played well on this golf course. So I’ve just got to go out and hit the shots and stay in the present. If I just keep putting one foot in front of the other, hopefully by Sunday night that will be good enough.”

McIlroy entered the Open as 8-1 favorites in terms of odds, and immediately moved to 33-1 after his first hole, according to the York Daily. 

Around the other participants in the tournament, Tiger Woods enters the tournament with three Open titles (2000, 2005, 2006), but struggled in the most recent Pebble Beach Tournament in the damp weather. The British Open tends to be relentless in terms of weather, and CBS Sports predicts Woods will struggle to endure this one.

Brooks Koepka has finished in the top-two in six of the last nine Open tournaments he has played in. He is on a hot streak right now in major tournaments. He placed second in the Masters at Augusta, won the PGA Championship and placed second in the U.S. Open at Pebble Peach. According to USA Today, he has a miraculous combined score of 43-under-par in the last six major tournaments. He places as the favorite after McIlory’s tough start in his home country.

The 119th U.S. Open in Pebble Beach wrapped up this past weekend, with Gary Woodland winning the trophy after a thrilling final round.

Brooks Koepka was seeking his third-straight Open trophy, which would’ve matched the 114-year-old record for an American to win three in a row. Woodland denied Koepka, who fought until the end, finishing second with -10, while Woodland won by three strokes (-13). Woodland came home with $2.25 million dollars after the win, the biggest payout in golf history. Koepka won $1.4 million, while Jon Rahm, Justin Rose, Chez Reavie and Xander Schauffele split the third place each winning $582,000 going -7.

Woodland coped with the pressure of first place all throughout Sunday after holding first place as early as Saturday, with Koepka and Co. breathing down his neck through the final 18. Woodland claimed his first U.S. Open title on Sunday in dramatic fashion, sealing his win with a clutch par on 17 and a birdie on 18.

“I never let myself get ahead,” Woodland said, according to ESPN. “Once that went in, it all came out of me. It’s special to finish it off here at Pebble Beach.”

Koepka will go home with a slight chip on his shoulder after pushing Woodland but never being able to top him, although he did break the U.S. Open record for being the first player to score in all 60s on every round without winning.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Tiger Woods started the weekend slow, shooting a 70, 72 and 71 before finishing on Sunday with a 69 in his famous red. Woods equaled his lowest round at an Open since 2009 this weekend after winning his 15th major at the Masters back in April. Woods will likely be skipping the next forthcoming rounds to prepare for the British Open coming next month.

“I’m going to take a little bit of time off and enjoy some family time,” Woods said, according to USA Today.

The Kansas grad capped off Father’s Day with a major title that made his peers and his parents more than proud.

Pebble Beach Golf Links is hosting the U.S. Open for the sixth time in its history this year. The iconic California coast course has a $2.16 million prize, along with the coveted silver trophy. Pebble Beach is amongst the most famous of golf courses in the United States, with infamous holes like No. 7 and 17.

A variety of worthy champions will be battling on the West Coast shoreline, with Brooks Koepka as the odds favorite, as he is chasing back-to-back-to-back U.S. Open titles. He is the first player in 29 years to win two in a row, and would be the second player in golf history to win it three consecutive years. Along with Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlory and Jordan Spieth are favorite contenders. Mickelson is entering his 28th U.S. Open, while according to Forbes, Woods was the top pick for bettors at the Super Book USA. The 2019 Masters champion leads all the PGA Tour in greens in regulation at 72.6 percent.

For other contenders, McIlory is having a great season in the Open, being one of the more consistent players this season, as he recently performed at the Canadian Open with a 61 last week. Spieth is another contender in the featured groupings. In his last three rounds, he has finished in the top-10 after a shaky past two seasons.

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW 

Johnson and Mickelson are in the first featured groupings that will be broadcasted, along with Jon Rahm and McIlory. Mickelson is on the hunt for a career Grand Slam. On the second half of the broadcast, Woods, Koepka, Speith and Francesco Molinari are set to tee off around 4:45 p.m. EST on Thursday and will be the later broadcasted featured grouping.

The tournament begins Thursday morning and will be played through the weekend. It will be broadcasted on FOX Sports 1 and can be streamed on FOX Sports GO or USOpen.com.  

Serena Williams was severely mocked and criticized after she chose to wear a black outfit with leggings — nicknamed a “catsuit” — to compete at the French Open earlier this year.

Serena Williams Dons Tutu At U.S. Open

On Monday, the 36-year-old superstar decided to ditch that outfit for a black tutu for her first-round U.S. Open game. The garment was reportedly custom-designed by Nike and renown Luis Vuitton designer Virgil Abloh, a friend of rapper Kanye West. 

Williams also donned Nike sneakers and fishnet tights. The 23-time Grand Slam champion thanked Abloh after the designer captioned a photo of her on his Instagram page: “Willing to design dresses for her for life.”

SLIDESHOW: 30 Best Sports Instagrams! 

In a press conference after her 6-4, 6-0 first-round victory over 68th-ranked Polish player Magda Linette on Monday, Williams — who is seeking her sixth U.S. Open singles title — called her new outfit “aerodynamic” because it lets one of her arms be more “free,” and added it’s “easy to play in.”

Williams previously said that her catsuit was inspired by the hit Marvel superhero film Black Panther and that it helped her avoid blood clots following health complications she faced after her daughter was born. French Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli recently announced that such outfits would now be banned from the French Open.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

On Saturday, Williams did not seem remotely outraged over Giudicelli’s decision.

Williams will next face 23-year-old German Carina Witthöft in a second-round U.S. Open match on Wednesday night.

Here are some of the top fan reactions to Williams’ tutu:

Nick Kyrgios, the hot-headed and uber-talented 22-year-old tennis player, had another spectacular meltdown in the middle of a match on Wednesday in the first round of the U.S. Open.

Playing fellow Australian, John Millman, Kyrgios, who was ranked 14th, injured his shoulder, was penalized for cursing, and smashed his racket in a match that went 6-3, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 in Millman’s favor. As has been the case throughout his roller-coaster career, Kyrgios was uninterested in play once it seemed he was going to lose.

“There goes the racquet. Emphatically.” #kyrgios #usopen pic.twitter.com/ST214T2zOA

— Lynn Bee ? (@lynnlovestennis) August 30, 2017

Kyrgios has become a fascination of the tennis world’s because of his temper and his infinite talent. Many, including Kyrgios, seem too believe that because of his personality, he is wasting the gift he has spent most of his life refining.

When asked after the match on Wednesday whether or not he wants his coach, Sebastien Grosjean, to continue coaching him, Kyrgios said, “I don’t know, honestly. I’m not good enough for him.”

He continued, “You know, he’s very dedicated. He’s an unbelievable coach. you know, he probably deserves a player that is probably more dedicated to the game than I am. He deserves better than me.”

“I’m not dedicated to the game at all,” he later told reporters. He also added, “I keep letting people down.”

Kyrgios and Millman seemed poised for a competitive match after the second set yesterday but by the third, Kyrgios began rubbing his shoulder, an indication that the injury that his plagued him through out the year was back. He then asked the ball boy to help him stretch the injury out. Shortly after, he was heard cursing and was given a code violation by the chair umpire, who he promptly began to argue with.

By the end of the match, he appeared to be hitting the ball out of bounds so as to end the match as soon as possible.

Kyrgios eliminated himself from Wimbledon earlier this year, when a hip injury prevented him from playing his best.

“I’ve had a diabolical year at these Slams,” he said after the match on Wednesday. “It doesn’t surprise me. It’s just the story of my career, really. I will have good weeks, I’ll have bad weeks. It’s just a roller-coaster.”

The win against Kyrgios on Wednesday is the first ever U.S. Open victory of Millman’s career. Millman is currently ranked 235th world-wide.

Phil Mickelson formally pulled out of the U.S. Open on Thursday morning, citing his daughter’s high school graduation in California as his reason for missing the golf tournament in Erin Hills, Wisconsin.

Phil Mickelson Pulls Out of U.S. Open

This marks the first year the five-time major championship winner — who will be 47 on Friday — has missed the U.S. Open since he failed to qualify in 1993. It is also Mickelson’s first missed major since the 2009 Open.

Mickelson seemed to hope that, given the possibility of storms over Wisconsin, there could be a four-hour delay that would permit him to attend his daughter’s ceremony. His daughter Amanda is s senior class president at Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, California, and is set to give a commencement speech.

However, the U.S. Open began on Thursday with sunshine and almost no threat of inclement weather all day.

Roberto Diaz, a 30-year-old Mexican, replaced Mickelson for his 2:20 pm (CST) tee time.

Mickelson boasts the U.S. Open record with six second-place finishes in 23 straight years, and it’s the only major he has yet to capture in order to complete a career Grand Slam. (He has also won three Masters and a PGA Championship). The San Diego native says he desperately wants to win the Open, although he knows this is a special circumstance.

“It’s a tournament that I want to win the most,” Mickelson said two weeks ago when he first revealed the scheduling conflict. “The only way to win is if you play and have a chance. But this is one of those moments where you look back on life and you just don’t want to miss it. I’ll be really glad that I was there and present.”

The US Golf Association (USGA) didn’t require Mickelson to make any formal announcement regarding his decision to withdraw from the tournament. He stated last week that his daughter’s graduation was scheduled for 10 am PST on Thursday.

Mickelson also nearly pulled out of the 1999 U.S. Open after his wife Amy was about to give birth to Amanda just before the tournament began. He said he was prepared to leave mid-Open if necessary. Payne Stewart ended up making a 15-foot par putt on the last hole to defeat Mickelson that year.

Amanda was born the following day.

Mickelson stated he is confident he will be able to win the U.S. Open sometime in the next few years.

Here are the coverage details for his year’s U.S. Open:

TV: 11 a.m.- 6 p.m. ET on FS1, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. ET on Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports GO, USOpen.com

Additionally, here is the full schedule for Thursday (Day 1) at Erin Hills:

2017 U.S. Open tee times, pairings for Thursday (all tee times ET)

Tee No. 1

7:45 a.m.—Jordan Niebrugge, Talor Gooch, Kevin Dougherty

7:56 a.m.—Andres Romero, Brice Garnett, Davis Love IV

8:07 a.m.—Yusaku Miyazato, J.T. Poston, Aaron Rai

8:18 a.m.—David Lingmerth, Paul Dunne, Haotong Li

8:29 a.m.—Stewart Hagestad, Chez Reavie, Gene Sauers

8:40 a.m.—Brandt Snedeker, Alex Noren, Tyrrell Hatton

8:51 a.m.—Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Thomas Pieters, Brooks Koepka

9:02 a.m.—Gary Woodland, J.B. Holmes, Jason Kokrak

9:13 a.m.—Russell Knox, Scott Gregory, Martin Laird

9:24 a.m.—Kevin Kisner, Billy Horschel, Branden Grace

9:35 a.m.—Webb Simpson, Ernie Els, Lucas Glover

9:46 a.m.—Tyson Alexander, Christopher Crawford, Max Greyserman

9:57 a.m.—Matthew Campbell, Garrett Osborn, Walker Lee

1:30 p.m.—Jack Maguire, Corey Conners, Ben Kohles

1:41 p.m.—Eddie Pepperell, Chan Kim, Gregory Bourdy

1:52 p.m.—Jhonattan Vegas, Yuta Ikeda, Sean O’Hair

2:03 p.m.—Andrew Johnston, Brian Stuard, George Coetzee

2:14 p.m.—Marc Leishman, Pat Perez, Si Woo Kim

2:25 p.m.—Russell Henley, Scottie Scheffler, Harris English

2:36 p.m.—Bubba Watson, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia

2:47 p.m.—Henrik Stenson, Charl Schwartzel, Louis Oosthuizen

2:58 p.m.—Jimmy Walker, Justin Thomas, Paul Casey

3:09 p.m.—Jason Day, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy

3:20 p.m.—Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, Phil Mickelson

3:31 p.m.—Ryan Brehm, John Oda, Jonathan Randolph

3:42 p.m.—Mason Andersen, Derek Barron, Roman Robledo

Tee No. 10

7:45 a.m.—Ted Potter Jr., Daniel Chopra, Meen Whee Kim

7:56 a.m.—Shugo Imahira, Matthew Wallace, Ryan Palmer

8:07 a.m.—Charley Hoffman, Jason Dufner, Hideto Tanihara

8:18 a.m.—Jeunghun Wang, Thomas Aiken, Bradley Dredge

8:29 a.m.—Scott Harvey, Jamie Lovemark, Michael Putnam

8:40 a.m.—Brian Harman, Tommy Fleetwood, Bud Cauley

8:51 a.m.—Hideki Matsuyama, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm

9:02 a.m.—Lee Westwood, Ross Fisher, Graeme McDowell

9:13 a.m.—Danny Willett, Zach Johnson, Angel Cabrera

9:24 a.m.—Matt Kuchar, Francesco Molinari, Patrick Reed

9:35 a.m.—Martin Kaymer, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson

9:46 a.m.—Joaquin Niemann, Stephan Jaeger, Joel Stalter

9:57 a.m.—Daniel Miernicki, Sahith Theegala, Tyler Light

1:30 p.m.—Wade Ormsby, Oliver Bekker, Kyle Thompson

1:41 p.m.—Brandon Stone, Troy Merritt, Chris Wood

1:52 p.m.—Satoshi Kodaira, Daniel Summerhays, Alexander Levy

2:03 p.m.—William McGirt, Keegan Bradley, Kevin Na

2:14 p.m.—Brad Dalke, Wesley Bryan, Brendan Steele

2:25 p.m.—Nick Flanagan, Richie Ramsay, Bryson DeChambeau

2:36 p.m.—Daniel Berger, Roberto Castro, Bill Haas

2:47 p.m.—Adam Hadwin, Emiliano Grillo, Cheng-Tsung Pan

2:58 p.m.—Scott Piercy, Shane Lowry, Jim Furyk

3:09 p.m.—Matthew Fitzpatrick, Peter Uihlein, Byeong Hun An

3:20 p.m.—Kevin Chappell, Maverick McNealy, Bernd Wiesberger

3:31 p.m.—Xander Schauffele, Trey Mullinax, Cameron Champ

3:42 p.m.—Sam Ryder, Alex Smalley, Andy Pope

Johnson is the world No. 1 right now, having won last year’s U.S. Open at Oakmont and winning several other events since then, including a victory at the Genesis Open in California in February and claiming top honors at two straight World Golf Championship tournaments, one of which was in Mexico.

Johnson missed this year’s Masters after injuring his back. Nevertheless, OddsShark has him as the favorite to win this year’s U.S. Open.

Spieth, 23, won the Masters and the Open in 2015, but has not won a major since.

Here is the schedule for Round 2 on Friday:

Round 2 — Friday

Start time: 7:45 a.m.

Live TV coverage: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on FS1 | 6-9 p.m. on FOX
TV simulcast online: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on FoxSportsGo.com and Fox Sports Go app

Featured Group 1: 8:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. on USOpen.com
Featured Group 2: 9:20 a.m. to 8 p.m. on USOpen.com
Featured Holes: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on USOpen.com.

LA QUINTA, CA – JANUARY 19: Phil Mickelson plays his shot from the second tee during the first round of the CareerBuilder Challenge in Partnership with The Clinton Foundation at La Quinta Country Club on January 19, 2017 in La Quinta, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Phil Mickelson has never won the U.S. Open, and will likely have to wait until next year to compete in one.

The five-time major champion and three-time Master’s winner intends to skip this year’s U.S. Open to instead attend his daughter’s high school graduation ceremony.

The tournament, which takes place from June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin, coincides with his daughter Amanda’s graduation from Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad, California. Mickelson has opted to attend instead of compete, saying in a statement that, “This is one of those moments where you look back on in life and you just don’t want to miss it.”

Mickelson, 46, has a record six second-place finishes in the U.S. Open and it is the only major championship he has yet to win in 26 attempts. With a win at a U.S. Open, he would become the sixth player to complete the career grand slam.

He will have to wait just a little bit longer, but seems to be looking forward to Amanda’s graduation. She will be attending Brown University in Rhode Island in the fall. Amanda, the school’s president, will also deliver a commencement speech.

This is not the first time Mickelson’s daughter interfered with this specific major championship – in 1999, he lost on the 72nd hole to Payne Stewart after he sunk a 20-foot par putt to win the tournament and beat Mickelson by one stroke. Amanda was born the following day. Dad kept a pager on him during the tournament in case his wife went into labor.

Mickelson will not risk anything in 2017, although he will wait until the last day possible to withdraw from the U.S. Open, just in case a situation arises where the two events would no longer coincide with each other.

But Lefty will make the right move by putting his daughter first.

Tony Romo attempted to qualify for the the U.S. Golf Open for the third time in his life on Monday, and for the third time, he failed to advance.

Tony Romo fails to advance in U.S. Open Qualifier

The 37-year-old former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, who recently signed with CBS as a football analyst, shot a 3-over 75 in an 18-hole local qualifier Split Rail Links & Golf Club in Aledo, Texas, to finish tied for 40th. Romo made an eagle on the 600-yard, par-5 14th hole, which left him at one over on the day, although a triple bogey on the following hole ended his chances.

Romo was competing among approximately 80 golfers to secure a spot in the golf tournament, and would have needed to place in the top 7 out of 117 players to reach a sectional qualifier. He was six shots short.

The former NFL star said he will instead focus his attention on his role at CBS, and says he knows there is a learning curve he must pass for both ventures (golfing and working as a commentator) that he has no prior experience in.

“Competition in itself I enjoy and, for me, just improving and looking at something to get better at,” Romo told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “That’s the same thing in broadcasting. I understand I’m coming in without any experience in that world. It’s exciting, it’s a little nerve-wracking, it’s all these things in one. That’s why you love to do things. You’re coming into the unknown and something I have to get better at and I like a challenge. I know I’ll probably stink for a while. Hopefully I’ll continue to improve at that and hopefully get better and be good.”

Romo previously reached a sectional qualifying U.S. Open tournament in 2010. He was forced to withdraw from that competition, however, after rain delays created a conflict with Cowboys offseason practices.

Qualifiers will make up around half of the 156-golfer field at this year’s U.S. Open, which will take place next month at Erin Hills in Romo’s home state of Wisconsin. Pro golfers will comprise the other half.

Romo is replacing Phil Simms as CBS’s top NFL analyst.

SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 25: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Tony Romo retired from the Dallas Cowboys last month to pursue a career as an NFL game analyst on CBS, but he now also has another ambition in the sports world — in golf, specifically.

Tony Romo trying to qualify for U.S. Open

The 37-year-old former quarterback is hoping to qualify for the 2017 U.S. Open, according to several reports from Wednesday. Romo, who is among nearly 9,500 players signed up for the tournament, will play an 18-hole local qualifier Monday at Split Rail Links and Golf Club near Fort Worth, Texas.

Should Romo advance, he will move on to sectional qualifying on June 5 to reach the U.S. Open, which is scheduled to begin June 12 in Erin Hills, Wisconsin. In total, there are 51 exempt spots for the Open.

The former Cowboys star previously attempted to qualify for the major golf tournament in 2010. In a 36-hole sectional qualifier in which only two of the 35 players advanced, Romo opened with a 71 and withdrew in the afternoon after two weather delays.

The last player to go through local qualifying and win the U.S. Open was Orville Moody in 1969.

Mike Rausch, a vice president at Golf Etc., has caddied for Romo at several tournaments and has played beside him before.

“He’s a pretty good player,” Rausch told USA TODAY Sports. “He’s hasn’t played much. He’s coming back from injury, so I’m not sure where his game is right now. From talking to the guy who works on his clubs and plays with him, I hear he’s putting really well. He’s always been a good putter. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Romo also tried to qualify for the U.S. Open in 2011 before he put competitive golf aside during the offseason following a string of injuries.

Romo’s father, Ramiro, competed in the 2015 U.S. Senior Amateur.

“I could beat him early on,” Ramiro said of his son in 2015. “But when he got to be a senior in high school and then in college, it was really hard. You can’t teach distance, and he can pound the ball.”

Romo appeared before the Texas Legislature on Wednesday, and took photos with senators and congressmen who praised his accomplishments both on and off the field during his NFL career.

State Sen. Don Huffines, a Dallas Republican, was one of many lawmakers who tweeted the photos he took with Romo.

Romo isn’t the only former NFL player to be pursuing new professional endeavors, however. Much like Romo, former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is interested in starting a career in TV broadcasting, according to several reports.

The 34-year-old auditioned for a potential broadcasting role this week, per an NFL Media report. Citing sources, ESPN’s Jeff Dickerson reported that Cutler flew to Los Angeles on April 27 to audition with Fox for a possible position in the network’s television booth.

Fox is seeking a new analyst to work alongside Kevin Burkhardt after John Lynch left to become the San Francisco 49ers’ general manager earlier this offseason.

Cutler, the Bears’ all-time passing leader, has recently struggled to find a team interested in signing him, at least as a starter. The former quarterback reportedly held discussions with the New York Jets and Houston Texans before last week’s draft, although those talks did not produce anything.  Cutler’s football agent, Bus Cook, stated Thursday that the quarterback hasn’t officially retired and “as far as I know, he wants to play football and would play if the right offer came along.” Since Cook only manages Cutler’s NFL contracts, he refused to comment on his client’s broadcasting interests.

“You’d have to talk to Jay about that,” Cook said. “Any football player would be smart to explore his options in case he doesn’t play anymore. But Jay is as talented as any quarterback out there right now.”

Cutler spent eight seasons in Chicago after being drafted by the Denver Broncos as a first-round pick in 2006. He played only five games in 2016 due to injury and was released by the Bears, whom he lead to the NFC Championship Game in 2010, on March 9, the first day of free agency. Cutler also threw a career-worst 26 picks in 2009.

The quarterback’s knowledge of the NFC as a former Bears player would be beneficial to Fox because the network broadcasts the conference’s package of games.

Shortly after he was released by the Bears, Cutler’s actress wife Kristin Cavallari posted a photo on Instagram of the former quarterback standing naked while staring at the ocean. Cavallari added the caption “Good times, no tan lines. Let the sea set you free,” which led many to wonder whether this was an insinuation of Cutler’s imminent retirement from playing football. The picture drew laughs from scores of fans who got to see Cutler’s backside.

SEATTLE, WA – AUGUST 25: Quarterback Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys warms up prior to the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on August 25, 2016 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)