Sam Burns hit a sensational five-under 65 to set the clubhouse target as Scottie Scheffler battled to make the cut during the second round of the US Open.Only four of 78 players in the early wave posted under-par scores on another gruelling day at Oakmont with Burns improving to three under overall.

American’s second-round 65 has him alone atop the U.S. Open while favorites like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau struggle.

Scheffler’s game has not been where he wants it, but he sits in a tie for 11th entering the final round at Oakmont.

OAKMONT, Pa. — Sam Burns is a birdie machine at Oakmont, a label not many expected at this U.S. Open. By avoiding another sloppy finish, Burns posted a 5-under 65 on Friday and set the target for the late starters — and let Scottie Scheffler know the mountain he faced.

Scottie Scheffler prepped for the 125th U.S. Open with a Wednesday practice round with Sam Burns. Here’s what that looked like.

The ridiculously high standards that Scottie Scheffler has set the last 3 ½ years often lead to even higher expectations, which makes his start at the U.S. Open feel like such an anomaly.

OAKMONT, Pa. — Coming off a big birdie, Scottie Scheffler stepped onto the third tee box — his 12th hole of the day — looking to right his round and reclaim his role as U.S. Open favorite. He let loose with the driver but knew immediately the shot was way off target.

The sport’s stars will face a tough test this weekend, but there are several value picks for your U.S. Open Championship pool. Here’s how it works: One player is selected from each tier of 10 inside the Official World Golf Ranking’s Top 50.