LIV Golf has bigger issues to tackle in the near future, but it’s another troublesome sign for the fledgling league that a player who carded a septuple bogey could well be LIV’s top U.S. Open finisher come Sunday in Southampton, N.Y.
For those counting, a septuple bogey is carding a 7 over par on one hole, which Joaquin Niemann ended up with on the par-4 sixth hole at Shinnecock Hills on Thursday after being assessed a two-shot penalty for throwing his club.
To the young Chilean’s credit, he used the viral moment as motivation to card a 65 on Friday, tying the low round of the day with Collin Morikawa. It also propelled Niemann inside the cut line at 3-over 143 for the tournament.
He was one of only six of the 13 LIV players to qualify for the weekend. And half of those made the cut on the number when it moved to 4 over.
At 3 over, Niemann is equal to Dustin Johnson and one shot behind England’s Tyrrell Hatton. Hatton, who was LIV’s top finisher at the Masters and is coming off a win at Andalucia, enters the third round tied for 34th. After opening with a 74, Hatton rebounded with a 2-under 68 on Friday.
Niemann and Hatton were largely an anomaly for LIV on Friday.
Johnson, who was contending for the lead much of the first round, carded double and quadruple bogeys on his back nine on Friday to post a 7-over 77. He will play the weekend, which is more than fellow former U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm can say.
The Spaniard opened with a 68 and appeared poised to build on his runner-up finish at the PGA Championship last month. That was short-lived, however, as Rahm went 6 over across a five-hole stretch and missed the cut by two shots.
Bryson DeChambeau has missed the cut in each of the first three majors of 2026. He carded consecutive double bogeys while stumbling to a 75 on Friday — missing the cut by a lone shot.
On a positive note, 22-year-old Caleb Surratt survived closing with consecutive bogeys to make the cut on the number in his first career major.
LIV GOLF U.S. OPEN SCORES THROUGH 36 HOLES
Tyrrell Hatton, T34 (+2)
Dustin Johnson, T46 (+3)
Joaquin Niemann, T46 (+3)
Laurie Canter, T60 (+4)
Caleb Surratt, T60 (+4)
Peter Uihlein, T60 (+4)
MISSED CUT
Bryson DeChambeau (+5)
Carlos Ortiz (+6)
Jon Rahm (+6)
Cameron Smith (+6)
Lucas Herbert (+6)
David Puig (+9)
Graeme McDowell (+12)
–Derek Harper, Field Level Media
