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OAKMONT, Pa. — Former BYU golfer Daniel Summerhays didn’t know he’d be in the U.S. Open tournament field at Oakmont Country Club officially until Monday, when he sneaked into the field as an alternate.
He made a name for himself Friday, though.
Summerhays shot 5-under-par 65 in the second round of the tournament to finish tied for seventh at the U.S. Golf Association’s national championship with a 36-hole total of 1-under 139. His 65 was the best round of the tournament through two rounds Friday.
The former Utah State Amateur champion called it one of the top-two rounds in his life; he shot 60 in the final round of the second tournament of his senior year of college in Richmond, Virginia for an all-time high.
That round tied an NCAA record at the time. But Friday's round in one of the PGA's four majors likely even eclipsed that.
“I think at any level in any profession, you go through times of being inadequate," Summerhays said. "But that round today is one that I will be able to push the replay button on for times when you aren’t sure. That was really special.”
The Farmington native was tied with Sergio Garcia, Kevin Streelman, Bubba Watson, Danny Lee and low amateur Scottie Scheffler at No. 7 on the weather-ravaged leaderboard.
After carding a 4-over 74 in his first round that teed off early Friday morning after weather suspended play in Thursday’s opening round, Summerhays went out on a tear as he began his second pass Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
Summerhays bogeyed hole No. 1, but finished the back nine at an even-par 35 before rolling five birdies in a seven-hole stretch from Nos. 11-17.
Here's his birdie putt on the 14th hole.
Daniel Summerhays has birdied four of his last five holes, including here on No. 14. He's -4 on his round. #USOpenhttps://t.co/dK62WRDNtZ
— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 17, 2016
Summerhays birdied the par-4, 379-yard 11th hole, added a four on the par-5, 632-yard 12th hole. He then shot back-to-back birdies on the par-4 14th and 15th holes before driving to just off the green on the par-4, 313-yard No. 17 and sinking an 8-footer for birdie. When he tapped in his putt for par on the 484-yard 18th hole, Summerhays pumped a fist and smiled, beaming as he exited the course.
Lehi’s Tony Finau, who also qualified for the U.S. Open as an alternate out of an Ohio regional, shot 2-over 72 in his first round, but struggled with five bogeys in the front-nine of the second round before finishing tied for at 7-over 147.
Surprise leader Andrew Landry shot a U.S. Open opening round-record 66 with his first shot Friday to conclude Thursday’s round as the 28-year-old PGA Tour rookie stormed to a surprise lead.
Landry broke the previous opening-round record of 67 held by World Golf Hall of Famers Gary Player in 1973 and Ben Hogan in 1953. When he qualified for the Open, Landry was ranked No. 624 in the world and No. 203 in the FedEx Cup standings.
The rookie was tied with Dustin Johnson, who shot 1-under 69 in the second round.
With the top golfers on the leaderboard still on the course, Lee Westwood was third at 3-under, followed by Scott Piercy, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry.
