Rory McIlroy clatters his drive long and straight down the 18th. He is some 44 yards longer than the field average today and has hit eight out of 14 fairways.

His second is wonderful wedge that flies past the pin but grips the putting surfance and catches the slope to take it back down towards the cup. This for a birdie and in it drops.

The Northern Irishman has a little laugh although I'm not sure if he happy or not to be hanging around for the weekend.

Thriston Lawrence is all over the place on the long par-five fourth. He's certainly getting his steps in and decides to take his medicine after finding the rough off the green with his third.

His fourth takes hm backwards across the green to 55 feet and three putts later he is over par with a double.

Confirmation that Bryson DeChambeau will not be picking up his third US Open this week.

The defending champ departs after a brutal seven-over 77 leaves him 10 over for the tournament.

Xander Schauffele, who has never finished lower than 15th in seven starts at the US Open, drops another shot at the last but six over par is enough to make the weekend.

A grim laugh escapes the lips of Bryson DeChambeau as he dumps his approach to 18 into the rough surrounding the green.

It has not been his day.

It has not been his tournament.

Rory McIlroy looks pretty fed up. He clearly wants the security of another birdie to reach the wekend but then again he'd need something special just to get into contention.

He plays a great second, chipping out of the sand to 11 feet but it's another chance he can't convert.

Adam Scott tidies up at the last to finish at level par after another excellent round from the Australian.

He's in the top five after 36 holes.

Alongside him, Japan's Hideki Matsuyama drains a terrific birdie putt to reach seven over and a good chance of making the cut.

No such luck for Ludvig Aberg though - at eight over par for the tournament, he'll be heading home.

Wow. Once again frustration boilks over for Rory McIlroy, who finds the greenside right bunker with his drive on the 17th.

He flung an iron down the 12th earlier and now smashes the tee marker with his three wood and completely shatters it. Talk about venting your anger.

The giant par-three eighth (298 yards!) is next for Bryson DeChambeau and his tee shot finds the putting surface but it's fully 45 feet away from the pin.

A fine attempt finishes inside a foot but it's a par and he stays at 10 over.

His issues have transferred to Xander Schauffele too as he coughs up a shot to Oakmont to drop to five over par.

A tricky chip coming up for JJ Spaun. He can't afford to be too eager given the huge slope in front of the pin. But then he can't be too tentative either, otherwise he's got to putt down the slope.

He's the latter.

Brooks Koepka had a similar putt many hours ago and he borrowed about seven feet. Spaun reads it that way too. Koepka missed. So too does Spaun.

Shot gone but he's one of only five players under par.

Thriston Lawrence finds the Church Pew bunker on the third and clips the banking as he tries to escape.

It looked like he was playing some weird sort of bump and run and it leaves a difficult up and down.

He pitches up the hill but can't drop in a putt from 11 feet and adds another bogey to a scorecard that really needs a smattering of red on it.

Tremendous par save from Adam Scott up at the 17th as he nails it in the centre of the cup from 13 feet.

That'll keep him inside the top six.

JJ Spaun finds the fairway on the 18th and has 206 yards to the flag, which is nestled in a swale on the green, with a backstop to help go flag hunting.

But Spaun's luck is out. He catches the downslope in front of the pin and that catapults his ball through the putting surface and into the rough. A bewildered Spaun raises the weakest of smiles.

There you go.

Bryson DeChambeau's par putt rolls by the seventh hole.

Ten over par.

Surely not even his scientific genius can concoct him a way out of this mess with two holes to go.

Thriston Lawrence tries to be too cute coming out of the back bunker on the second and it costs him a shot, as his ball flops into the long stuff on the banking.

Rory McIlroy, has only missed the cut in consecutive weeks once ever before on the PGA Tour and that was back in 2010 (Houston Open and the Masters).

And he could well be around this weekend after all as he dunks a 20-foot birdie putt in on the 15th.

A chance for some Bryson DeChambeau magic out of the rough at the seventh green but no, he's not been able to dig it out very far.

He swishes his club in frustration.

Holes are running out.

An ugly stab at the ball results in an ugly finish for JJ Spaun. He's looking tired and ready for bed.

His ball pops out of the rough onto the green but he's no closer than 25 feet. This is to get back into a share of the lead though, so time for focus.

Nailed it. Lovely putt. That'll waken him up a bit.

Thriston Lawrence birdies the first but then massively overcooks his approach into the second, with his ball nestling into the greenside bunker.

User error that one, nowt to do with Oakmont.

It looks like Bryson DeChambeau's race is run as he misses from three feet to save par.

Somewhat ironic given that some of his title last year was dependent on Rory McIlroy spurning two similarly short putts at Pinehurst down the stretch.

This bogey puts the defending champ at nine over par, two over the cut line and only three holes left.

A bit of a wait on the 17th tee but finally JJ Spaun is ready to ping his drive down the dog-leg left-to-right that is driveable.

Not for Spaun today. His ball gets caught up in the rough but he's on the right side (the left) to open up the flag with his second.