"It was a good display, all my own fault, of what can happen if you get out of position on this golf course". He birdied five-straight holes, starting with the 17th after teeing off on the 10th, but that run only served to negate a triple bogey on 14 as well as bogeys on 12 and 15 to card a one-under 71.

"You don't get many rounds at the US Open that are stress-free", admitted Fowler afterwards.

Fowler had a one-shot lead over Paul Casey and U.S. Open newcomer Xander Schauffele.

Leishman is now sharing 13th place, three shots off the pace.

Erin Hills has been blessed with better-than-expected weather during the first two days of the event. "But when you're visually looking down the fairway, I think when you're trying to aim at a target at a normal golf course, with normal width fairways, there's some pressure into hitting the fairway because it is a lot narrower than we have out here".

Johnson, who arrived late at Erin Hills following the birth of his second child on Monday, will now have extra time to spend with his infant son after returning a 73 for 4-over.

Yet Johnson was forced to bide his time for the next six holes, unable to convert the few birdie chances that came his way.

As for Day, he entered this week with a stellar track record at the U.S. Open - five top-10 finishes in six career starts.

McIlroy was never in the short grass from the 11th hole to the end on Thursday when he opened with a career-worst 78, and he didn't do almost enough in the second round until it was far too late.

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However, while the world's top three are making other plans for the weekend after missing the cut, college amateur Cameron Champ is proving that massive tee shots can still help get the job done on the long, links-style layout.

"I saw some positives there on the back nine coming in and hopefully I can take them to the Travelers (Championship) next week".

"If you look at the golf course and you even talk to me, Jason or Rory, this course sets up flawless for us", Johnson said.

While Casey was relieved after his gutsy fightback, two of the world's top three players - McIlroy and Day - were left contemplating a missed cut. It didn't matter at that point because I was so far from the cut line, but at least I know it's in there, it's just a matter of getting it out of me and getting myself in the right frame of mind. If I had to render a guess, when the rain comes on over the weekend and takes all roll out of the fairway, officials will make the longest course in major championship history even longer.

Scheffler is three shots back of the lead on a jam-packed leaderboard.

The player who turned the US Open into a soap opera of sorts the previous two years won't be around for the weekend this time.

McIlroy and Jason Day never recovered from theirs.

"I was upset with the score I had made, but it did not have any effect on my attitude or how I was going to then approach the rest of the round or the next shot". When I get down he kind of tells me a joke or something dumb.

Matsuyama, a 25-year-old, four-time PGA Tour victor from Japan, had a putt for birdie on the par-5 18th hole, which would have been only the second 8-under round in U.S. Open history, matching Johnny Miller's 63 at par-71 Oakmont in 1973.