US Open Day 2 wrapup: Reed and Spieth are up; Tiger, Bubba are gone

Day 2 of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay is in the books, and here’s what we know: the best in golf have come up big against a monster of a course. Oh, sure, Chambers Bay has claimed its share of high-profile names. (Take the weekend off, Rickie Fowler, Martin Kaymer, and Bubba Watson You too, Tiger.) But the USGA prizes par the way the rest of us prize oxygen, and so far, the best in the tournament have left par in the rear-view mirror.

Here we go, a rundown of Day 2 at Chambers Bay.

Without question, the story of the day was Jason Day’s collapse on his final hole. Walking near the grandstands, Day fell to the ground. Initial speculation that he had turned an ankle gave way to a diagnosis of vertigo, a problem with which Day has grappled for years. Day was able to finish out his round and made the cut – he’s only three shots back of the lead – but whether he will return to play on Saturday remains a question.

Day was also responsible for the day’s top positive highlight, as well, a chip-in on the first hole that was a thing of beauty, with a celebration to match:

Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, the yin and yang of young golf, will go out in the final pairing on Saturday afternoon, both finishing the first two days of the tournament at 5-under par. It’s only fitting that these two, who achieved notoriety playing together in the Ryder Cup, should carry the banner of golf forward, for a day at least. Dustin Johnson (4-under) struggled a bit on the day, surrendering his first-day lead, and he’s surrounded by a bevy of unfamiliar names. Will someone make an early charge to join these leaders? It’ll be a challenge, but not an impossible one.

There’s a difference between a course setup being challenging and a course being flat-out unfair. The green on this putt by Darren Clarke is the latter:

The Chambers Bay design and layout had its detractors among the players, but none of the active ones were more vociferous than Gary Player, who told Yahoo Sports it was “one of the worst courses I’ve ever seen.” Listen here: