Sam Burns will take a slender lead into the weekend at the 2025 U.S. Open after posting a stunning second-round 65 at Oakmont Country Club to reach three under par.
American Burns banished the memory of dropping five shots in the final four holes of his first round as he carded six birdies and a single bogey on Friday to open up a one-stroke advantage over round-one leader JJ Spaun at the halfway stage.
Fellow American Spaun made four birdies and six bogeys in his 72 to sit at two under, one shot ahead of Norway's Viktor Hovland in solo third, with only three players under par after two rounds.
Frenchman Victor Perez enjoyed a day to remember as he landed a rare hole-in-one at the par-three sixth - just the second recorded ace to be made in a U.S. Open at Oakmont after Scott Simpson's at the 16th in 1983.
The difficult host course continued to show its teeth on day two, with many of the world's best players slipping backwards due to Oakmont's punishing rough and greens.
But Burns, who started the day six shots off the lead on two over, moved in the right direction as he birdied the 11th - his second hole - from 21 feet before sending his tee-shot at the par-three 13th to seven feet and slotting in the putt to return to level par for the tournament.
Back-to-back birdies from inside ten feet at the 17th and 18th saw Burns turn in 31, and although he started his back nine with a bogey on the first, he got the shot straight back with a six-foot birdie at the second hole.
The 2023 Ryder Cup player two-putted from over 100 feet on the fourth to make another birdie and get to three under before curling in his 22-foot par putt on the ninth to stay there and set the early clubhouse target.
Although Thriston Lawrence briefly moved three shots clear of Burns at the top following his fast start, no-one could match his 36-hole total as the challengers faded away.
Burns said: "It's a 72-hole golf tournament, and if you can get a round under par out here, no matter if it's one under, you'll take it.
"I think today was really nice with the finish I had yesterday, and it felt like I played really well.
There are no easy holes at Oakmont and Sam Burns knows it. pic.twitter.com/1oc3WuQkk3
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025
"I'm looking forward to the weekend."
Burns was pleased to finish with a clutch par save on the ninth, adding: "It's nice. It's obviously a difficult hole. It's a blind tee-shot kind of up the hill, and I was trying to hit kind of a fade off the left side and just pulled it a little bit.
"Then that putt was, I don't know, six feet of break. Yeah, it was a nice one to make, for sure."
Play was suspended at 8:15pm local time due to dangerous weather in the area, with a small number of players still to finish off their second rounds.
