Rory McIlroy made a move late on the front nine in his bid to reel in US Open second-round leader Wyndham Clark with a couple of birdies.
The Masters champion’s first came at the par-five fifth, where he hit his approach to 34 feet and two-putted to get to two under.
He then holed a 15-footer at the eighth to get to three under but saved his best approach for the ninth, hitting it inside six feet only to miss the putt.
It left him three under, in a share of second but still four behind 2023 champion Clark, who maintained his four-shot advantage after a delayed first round with a 69 on Friday morning.
The likes of multiple-major winners Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele had shown there were low scores out there with morning rounds of 65 and 66 respectively to move into contention as Shinnecock Hill’s softer-than-usual greens offered opportunities as the expected higher winds did not blow.
However, the stiffening breeze, combined with the baking sun, dried out the putting surfaces, making them more difficult to read in terms of pace and the poana grass is renowned to present more of a test later in the day.
But McIlroy, looking for his first US Open title since making his major breakthrough in 2011, started to generate some momentum as he approach the turn.
