Belgium’s Thomas Detry reeled off two three-birdie runs on Friday to seize the early lead in the second round of the US Open as former co-leader Patrick Cantlay prepared to tee off at Pinehurst.
World number 55 Detry, a back-nine starter, birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th holes before a bogey at 14, then birdied the first, third and par-5 fifth to reach 6-under par, one ahead of Cantlay.
Sharing third on four-under was late starter Ludvig Aberg, the world number six from Sweden who was runner-up in April’s Masters in his major debut, and 2020 US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau.
DeChambeau, last month’s PGA Championship runner-up, endured a roller-coaster round of five birdies and four bogeys but dropped his approach inches from the hole at 18 for a tap-in birdie to shoot 69 and match Aberg at four-under 136.
Ninth-ranked Cantlay, an American seeking his first major title, and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy each fired seven-under 65 on Thursday to share the 18-hole lead.
McIlroy, chasing his first major win in 10 years, closed with a bogey to fire a 72 and stand on three-under 137 for 36 holes.
That left him level for fifth with France’s Matthieu Pavon, among the latest starters.
McIlroy, a four-time major winner from Northern Ireland stumbled early with bogeys at 11 and the par-3 15th but a birdie at the third put him on 4-under, one off the pace.
Detry matched his PGA Tour best finish with a runner-up effort in March’s Houston Open.
The 31-year-old Belgian had his best major finish last month with a share of fourth at the PGA Championship.
Detry sank a 17-foot birdie putt at 11, a 13-footer at 12 and a 16-footer at 13 before missing the green on his approach at 14 and making bogey.
At the first hole, Detry dropped his approach just outside three feet and made the birdie putt, then sank a 22-foot birdie putt at the third to match Cantlay for the lead.
At the fifth, Detry reached the green in two to set up a tap-in birdie to swipe the lead.
Cantlay, off to his low major start, has a best result of third at the 2019 PGA Championship. He was about to start his second round.
Third-ranked McIlroy, a back-nine morning starter Friday, fell back with a lip-out from six feet for par to bogey 11 and a 10-foot par putt miss at the par-3 15th.
McIlroy rolled in a clutch par putt from just inside 40 feet at the par-3 17th, then sank a seven-foot birdie putt at the third to reach 4-under only to bogey the last.
– Scheffler soars to 74 –
McIlroy, trying to win an elusive fifth career major, played alongside top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and second-ranked Xander Schauffele, both with major titles this year.
At the par-5 fifth, where Scheffler and Schauffele each made double bogeys, McIlroy made a nine-foot par save putt.
Pre-tournament favorite Scheffler was in danger of missing the cut after shooting 74 to stand on five-over 145 while Schauffele, who won last month’s PGA Championship, was four off the lead after shooting 69 to stand on 139 in a share of 10th.
It was the first birdie-less major round of Scheffler’s career, the two-time Masters champion undone by bogeys at the par-3 15th and 17th plus his double.
McIlroy, a 35-year-old from Northern Ireland, has won the past three times he began a major with a bogey-free round, taking titles at the 2014 British Open, 2012 PGA Championship and 2011 US Open.
In the past decade, McIlroy has 20 top-10 major finishes without a win.
McIlroy has finished in the top-10 in his past five US Open starts, improving his position each year up to last year’s runner-up showing behind fourth-ranked American Wyndham Clark.
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