Oakmont After 36: Burns Leads, Mulligans Cash, and GGG Braces for a Wild Weekend
Oakmont Country Club has done what it does best: frustrate, expose, and eliminate.
After 36 holes of brutality, the cut landed at +7 (147)—a number that instantly sent six league picks packing and dramatically tightened the field. The course showed its teeth Friday, playing nearly two strokes over par. But amidst the carnage, Sam Burns emerged as the solo leader at -3, firing a blistering 65 that flipped the entire tournament on its head.
For Golf’s Greatest Gamble, the second round brought movement, heartbreak, and possibly the Mulligan of the Year. Let’s dig in.
❌ Cut Line Casualties
Six GGG selections failed to make it to the weekend. For those holding these names, that’s a zero-dollar payout in the Majors Side Bet—tough to come back from with just two majors remaining.
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Bryson DeChambeau (+10)
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Joaquin Niemann (+10)
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Ludvig Åberg (+6)
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Sepp Straka (+11)
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Shane Lowry (+17)
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Tommy Fleetwood (+9)
Whether you picked a recent winner (DeChambeau), a rising star (Åberg), or a fan favorite (Fleetwood), Oakmont didn’t care. The leaderboard got trimmed fast—and for many, so did the shot at majors glory.
🎯 Mulligan Pays: Niemann Out, Rahm In
Let’s talk about Matt. After Niemann’s Round 1 75, he pulled the trigger on a Mulligan—subbing in Jon Rahm. The result?
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Niemann: 75-75 (MC)
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Rahm: 69-75 (+4)
That decision turned a dead pick into a live one and potentially thousands in prize money. This is why the Mulligan Rule exists, and Matt just set the gold standard for using it right.
📊 GGG Picks Through Round 2
| Player | OWGR | R1 | R2 | Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Burns | 22 | 72 | 65 | -3 | 🔥 Solo Leader |
| Brooks Koepka | 425 | 68 | 74 | +2 | ✅ Contending |
| Russell Henley | 7 | 70 | 72 | +2 | ✅ Steady |
| Scottie Scheffler | 1 | 73 | 71 | +4 | ✅ Hanging Around |
| Collin Morikawa | 4 | 70 | 74 | +4 | ✅ Still in It |
| Jon Rahm | 77 | 69 | 75 | +4 | ✅ Mulligan Win |
| Ryan Fox | 32 | 72 | 73 | +5 | ✅ Fighting |
| Xander Schauffele | 3 | 72 | 74 | +6 | ✅ Weekend Play |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 9 | 74 | 73 | +7 | ✅ Cutline Survivor |
| Harris English | 17 | 73 | 74 | +7 | ✅ Just Made It |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 10 | 73 | 77 | +10 | ❌ Cut |
| Joaquin Niemann | 79 | 75 | 75 | +10 | ❌ Cut |
| Ludvig Åberg | 6 | 72 | 76 | +6 | ❌ Cut |
| Sepp Straka | 8 | 78 | 73 | +11 | ❌ Cut |
| Shane Lowry | 12 | 79 | 78 | +17 | ❌ Cut |
| Tommy Fleetwood | 13 | 74 | 75 | +9 | ❌ Cut |
🔮 Weekend Predictions: What’s Next at Oakmont
Oakmont is only going to get meaner. Expect firmer greens, tougher pins, and chaos on the leaderboard. Here's how we see the weekend shaking out:
🏆 Winner Prediction: Sam Burns (-3)
The solo leader heading into the weekend—and rightfully so after a jaw-dropping 65 in Round 2. If he avoids a Saturday stumble, Burns could ride this momentum all the way to his first major.
💪 Major Threat: Brooks Koepka (+2)
Exactly where he wants to be: lurking. Koepka thrives in these pressure cookers, and a Saturday 69 would vault him right into contention. He’s a real threat to close if Burns falters.
📈 Climber Alert: Russell Henley (+2)
Henley’s game is clean and calculated. If conditions worsen, he could methodically rise up the board while others collapse. A quiet Top 5 finish wouldn’t shock anyone paying attention.
💸 Top GGG Earner Prediction: Sam Burns
Unless someone like Koepka goes nuclear, Burns is the most likely to deliver the biggest fantasy payday of the week. If you picked him? You’re sitting on a potential $2M+ fantasy week.
📉 Fading Fast: Jon Rahm (+4)
He’s still here, but trending the wrong way. Friday’s 75 had a lot of scrambling, and his Saturday round will make or break his week. Still, his presence could keep Matt's majors bet alive.
🏆 Majors Side Bet Outlook
With Alan and Dan having picked both winners so far, all eyes are on whether they can go 3-for-3. But if either missed the cut or faded this week, the likes of Karen, Mike, or even a sneaky Sam Burns pick could steal the crown.
Here’s what we know: a missed cut in a major is hard to overcome. The leaderboard is still tightly packed, and Oakmont is likely to shuffle the deck again over the next 36 holes.
🗣 Final Thoughts
The U.S. Open at Oakmont is delivering exactly what we hoped for: carnage, comebacks, and clutch decisions. GGG managers are navigating one of the most intense major weekends in league history.
To those with players left: every shot counts.
To those who missed the cut: pray for playoff chaos and a better draw at Troon.
To everyone watching: enjoy the brutality.
Let the Moving Day madness begin.
— The Commish
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