Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson miss cut at U.S. Open

ERIN, Wis. — It was a good walk spoiled for Jason Day.

The world No. 3 and 2015 PGA Champion said he was fully prepared for the 117th edition of the U.S. Open and was calm ahead of the game’s toughest test as he went to the first tee Thursday. Then he started off with a birdie on his first hole. From there, however, it was one misstep after another as Day stumbled toward a missed cut.

“I usually love places like this,” Day said Friday after signing for a three-over-par 75 the day after he shot 79. “I enjoyed the walk. The walk was great. The golf course is actually really beautiful. And I just unfortunately didn't execute.

“ … I was just in the hay too much the past two days.”

Day had company every step of the way. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy was grouped with Day (along with Justin Rose) and didn’t find his game until the last six holes of the second round. Coming off a layoff to heal an injured rib for the third time this season. McIlroy’s timing was off and he, too, missed the cut after rounds of 78-71.

And later, No. 1 Dustin Johnson failed to make it to the weekend with rounds of 75-73.

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“My transition was just very quick,” said McIlroy, the four-time major winner who has played in just seven tournaments this year. “Basically I was getting to the top and it was a real lunge at it. So I just tried to smooth out the transition today and it definitely worked. A weekend with a little bit of practice coming up. I think at this point in time I just need to play a round of golf. And I feel, even though it's very disappointing to not be here on the weekend, but I think these last two rounds will serve me well going into the summer.”

The two will head to next week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut — Day in his tricked-out RV, McIlroy in his private jet. The two stars, who were among the favorites this week, will be looking to end dry spells — Day hasn’t won since the 2016 Players Championship, McIlroy winless since the 2016 Tour Championship. For players of this caliber, those are extensive droughts.

“I just played bad golf, man,” said Day, who made two triple-bogeys in the first round. “I can't put it any other way other than just there was some good stuff mixed in with a lot of poor stuff.”

And the size of the course — which features most fairways that are at least 40 yards wide — threw him. As he said, he spent too much time in the hay on either side of many fairways.

“With everything so large, your target is larger and your misses get even more extreme,” Day said. “Being out of position off the tee does not help. The execution was not there.”

Neither Day, nor McIlroy, will panic. Day is confident he’ll return to top form in short order. McIlroy is equally confident.

McIlroy didn’t blame his putter for the missed cut — “It was the guy on the end of (the putter)" — and said he just needs to play competitive rounds.

“I birdied four of the last six. I probably could have birdied all of the last six. It didn't matter at that point because I was so far from the cut line,” McIlroy said. “But at least I know it's in there. It's just a matter of getting it out of me and getting myself in the right frame of mind.

“ … I felt really, really comfortable. I drove the ball well, my irons were good. Everything was in good shape. But you never really know until you put a card in your hand and you're under the gun little bit. And some of the weaknesses and flaws that are in my game at the minute showed up over the last couple of days. But I'm optimistic with where my game is. Some of where my game is. Hopefully I've got a lot of the bad stuff out of my system yesterday and some parts today.”