The US Open leaderboard has turned out to be quite surprising. Following the second round at Pinehurst No. 2, Tiger Woods and other well-known players like Viktor Hovland struggled with the course’s difficulty and eventually missed the cut. In a surprising twist, debutant Ludvig Aberg is leading the leaderboard.

Woods finished his tournament with a total score of 147, 7-over-par, thus missing out on the further play. Meanwhile, Aberg leads with a score of 135, 5-under-par. Despite his position at the top, Aberg has something to say about Pinehurst No. 2 and its draining nature.

What does Ludvig Aberg have to say about Pinehurst No. 2?

Pinehurst No. 2, crafted by Donald Ross, stands among nine other courses at the Pinehurst resort and is renowned for its challenging design. The greens, with their inverted bowl shapes, present a formidable challenge for approach shots. Playing at Pinehurst No. 2 demands both physical and mental strength, as per Ludvig Aberg.

After hearing all the questions, Aberg began to discuss the course’s challenges, focusing on its mental demands as well, and said, “Yeah, definitely. It’s a demanding golf course, not only physically but mentally, as well. It demands a lot of discipline and patience coming into these greens.” Requiring significant mental and physical effort, the 24-year-old emphasized his approach to handling this challenge by stating, “I think I just have to play with a lot of acceptance. I have to make sure that it’s not going to be perfect all the time.” 

He later pointed out that everyone, no matter who they are, will encounter difficulties on this course and said, “Most likely all players in the field are going to have a struggle at some point during the round, and whenever that shows up, it’s just one of them. All I try to do is execute the golf shots as good as I can, and then if I do so, that’s great. But if not, we just deal with it, try to get back into position as soon as we can, and try to get the ball in the hole.” 

As Aberg mentioned about keeping a strategic approach, it seems Pinehurst demands just that with physical and mental strength, as shots aiming close to the pin can unexpectedly roll away, often ending up 30 yards off target. The course features slopes that drop off in various directions. Given this, it’s crucial to carefully watch every shot, as Pinehurst No. 2 has already caused some renowned pros to miss the cut.

Which renowned pros couldn’t make the cut at the US Open?

Starting with the 15-time major champion Tiger Woods, it wasn’t an injury that caused difficulties this time. Instead, his score of 7 over par 147, with rounds of 74 and 73 over two days, was the issue. As a result, Woods missed the cut by two strokes and exited the course early. This must be heartbreaking for him, as the 48-year-old met the same fate during the PGA Championship and missed the cut. Next up is Viktor Hovland. His first round was tough, marked by six bogeys and two double bogeys.

Despite a strong effort in the Friday round with six birdies, it wasn’t sufficient, and he missed the cut by one stroke. Dustin Johnson, the 2016 US Open champion, has joined the list of well-known players missing the cut this weekend. The LIV pro scored 9 over 149, missing the cut by four strokes. Considering the tough course conditions, who do you think could win the US Open this time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!