Dustin Johnson Falters at US Open
Dustin Johnson saw his US Open hopes slip away on Friday, plummeting from second place to 54th after a disastrous seven-over 77.
Johnson started strong, making four straight birdies at the turn on Thursday, his longest streak at a US Open, and sat in second place at four under.
But he completely fell apart in his second round on Friday, with his game unraveling on the par-3 11th hole.
He hit into the bunker off the tee and took two attempts to get out, resulting in a double-bogey 5.
This collapse is a familiar story for Johnson, who has struggled since joining LIV Golf in 2022, with just one T10 at a major and being cut in three of the four majors last year.
He hasn't made the weekend at a US Open since 2023, and this latest disappointment will be a tough pill to swallow.
Johnson's third shot on the 15th hole was his easiest look from a bunker all day, but he was overly aggressive and the ball rolled back into a second bunker.
Johnson will need a Herculean effort on Saturday to get back in contention, with the leaders like Wyndham Clark pulling away from the pack.
He finished the second round tied for 54th place at three-over par, which should be enough to make the cut, but he'll have to dig deep to recover from this setback.
Johnson's career has been in a free fall since joining LIV, and this US Open collapse will only add to his frustrations.
On 18 Jun, Johnson will look to bounce back and make a push for the top of the leaderboard, but it won't be easy.
The road to recovery will be long and arduous, but Johnson has the talent and experience to turn his game around.
For now, though, he's left to pick up the pieces and wonder what could have been.
Johnson's quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 15th hole tied his highest single-hole score at a major in his career, a stark reminder of his struggles on the course.
The crowd watched in dismay as Johnson's game fell apart, and he'll be looking to regain their support and respect in the coming rounds.
The question on everyone's mind is: can Johnson recover from this collapse and make a push for the top of the leaderboard?