What went wrong in Bob MacIntyre's second-round 76 at US Open

As the same statistic was -2.99 on this occasion while he was in a plus figure off the tee and -0.1 for approach shots, the Oban man followed his opening 70 with a 76, which, sitting on six-over-par after two mentally-exhausting rounds of golf, meant the big football fan settled down to watch Scotland take on Germany in the European Championship opener knowing it was unlikely he’d be among the top 60 and ties progressing to the weekend in North Carolina. After a lengthy wait, that was indeed the case as the cut fell ar five over.

Helped by two birdies in his final five holes on Thursday, MacIntyre had started out sitting joint-16th only to quickly discover along with the other morning starters that it was going to be extremely difficult indeed to be racing ahead of those in the afternoon wave. “Wow” was the Scot’s reaction to a birdie putt at the first steaming past the hole at the first, though he then rolled in a ten-footer to save par there.

Pars were also salvaged at the next two holes, having seen his approach at the second roll back down the false front at the second before finding a greenside bunker at the third, but, after a great chip from a downhill lie at the side of the fourth green, he then missed a slippery short putt at the fourth for a first bogey of the day.

In truth, it was a bit of a battle for the recent RBC Canadian Open winner thereafter. Further shots slipped away at the fifth, eighth and ninth. A birdie at the tenth - his sole gain of the day - saw him climb back into the projected cut-off mark of four over at that point and, even then, it was being predicted that five over would make the cut.

Which would certainly have made the double bogey he then ran up at the 13th land then a three-putt bogey at the par-3 17th both leave a sting with MacIntyre, who swung his putter in frustration as he left a 23-foot birdie attempt at the last, knowing it would have given him a chance to be around for the final 36 holes, agonisingly short of the hole.

Swede Ludvig Aberg, who is making his debut in this event and teeing up in only his third major, leads at the halfway stage after backing an opening 66 with a 69 to sit on five under.

Bryson DeChambeau, the 2020 champion and runner-up in last month’s PGA Championship, birdied his last hole to add a five-birdie 69 to his opening 67. He sits one behind along with fellow American Patrick Cantlay (71) and Belgian Thomas Detry (67).

Rory McIlroy, who had shared the overnight lead with Cantlay after matching 65s in the first round, is one further back after addeding a 72, which included a chip in to save par after he’d putted off the green at the sixth.

On his US Open debut, Grant Forrest missed the cut after rounds of 77-76. It wasn’t the week he’d hoped for but, on the plus side, steadying the ship after a rocky start to the second circuit is something he’ll try to use to good effect for similar assignments like this going forward.

Others to make an earlt exit included three-time winner Tiger Woods, 2013 champion Justin Rose, 2016 victor Dustin Johnson and last year’s FedEx Cup winner Viktor Hovland.

Meanwhile, Stirling’s Craig Lee is the new PGA Professional Championship after storming to a seven-shot success with a ten-under-par total at Conwy in Wales.