Jon Rahm's Unbelievable Back Nine Meltdown Means Golf's Top Stars Are In Serious Trouble

Holy smokes, Seattle! You just won't believe the drama unfolding out at Shinnecock Hills. We’re only in the early rounds of the 2026 U.S. Open, and two of LIV Golf's absolute top stars, Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, have already packed their bags. Yeah, you heard that right. They both completely blew it on Friday and missed the cut. It’s early season golf, but this kind of showing from two major champions? Not a good look, not at all.

DeChambeau's Major Misery Continues, and It's Getting Ugly

Let's talk Bryson first, because man, this guy just cannot catch a break in the majors this year. He started his Friday at 6:35 a.m. ET, finishing his first round still looking decent at 1 under. Then, a quick bogey on his final hole, the 9th, put him at an opening round 70. But his second round? Absolute nightmare fuel from the jump. He double-bogeyed the 3rd and 4th holes back-to-back. Talk about an inauspicious start! Any hope he had for a third U.S. Open title just vanished into thin air. He spent the rest of his round battling the cut line, just like at the Masters and the PGA Championship.

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The guy couldn't build any momentum whatsoever. He’d make a birdie, and then immediately follow it up with a bogey or a double. One step forward, two steps back, all day long. He ended up shooting a 5-over 75. And get this: this is his third straight major championship, and the fourth in his last five starts, where he’s missed the cut! He's heading to Royal Birkdale staring down the barrel of an 0-for-4 season in making the weekend at majors. That’s rough, buddy. That is seriously rough.

Rahm's Unthinkable Collapse Stuns the Emerald City

Now, Jon Rahm, his LIV cohort, was looking like a completely different story. After his first round, he was the only player out there who hadn't made a single bogey! He finished up his first round Friday morning with five straight pars to post an incredible 2-under 68. He didn't even make his first bogey of the entire tournament until his 22nd hole. When he made the turn at even par after a first nine 37, you thought, "Okay, Rahm's got this." There was zero reason to think he was anywhere near the cut line.

But then, disaster struck. Big time. In the middle of his back nine, the wheels completely fell off the bus. Putts weren't dropping, shots were going sideways, and the frustration just boiled over. Over a brutal five-hole stretch from No. 12 to No. 16, he racked up an insane four bogeys and a double. That wasn’t just ejecting from contention, folks; that was a full-blown launch right out of the cut line entirely! By the time he doubled the par-5 16th, his tournament was effectively over. Remember his runner-up finish at the PGA? Seems like a lifetime ago after this meltdown. He definitely didn't get out of his own way on that back nine, and now he’s out.

So, while Wyndham Clark is out there grinding out another great round and building a big lead, we're left scratching our heads about two of the biggest names in golf. What does this mean for these guys moving forward? We’ll be watching closely to see if they can turn things around before the next major. It's only April, but these early trends are screaming trouble for two guys who should be contending every single week.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.