The US Open is a grind. It’s not like the Masters where you get a small, elite field and a bit of Southern hospitality. It’s not even like the PGA Championship. When you show up to a US Open site—whether it’s the fescue-heavy dunes of Shinnecock or the tight, punishing corridors of Winged Foot—you’re basically signing up for a four-day car crash. But for about half the field, that car crash ends early on Friday afternoon. If you've ever found yourself staring at a leaderboard on a Friday evening wondering how many make the cut at the US Open, the answer is actually simpler than it used to be, but the math behind it is still devastating for the players involved.
Golf is a game of thin margins. One bad kick into a fairway bunker at Oakmont can be the difference between playing for a $4 million winner's check and heading to the airport with nothing but a hefty caddie bill.
The Magic Number: Top 60 and Ties
Right now, the rule is pretty straightforward. After 36 holes are in the books, the field is trimmed down to the top 60 players, including anyone tied for 60th place.
It hasn’t always been this way.
Honestly, the USGA used to be a lot more "generous," if you can even use that word for an organization that likes to see the world's best golfers cry. For decades, there was a "10-stroke rule." This meant that if you were within 10 shots of the lead, you stayed for the weekend, regardless of how many people were in front of you. It created massive weekend fields. Imagine 80 or 90 guys trying to navigate a course that's already drying out and getting faster by the hour. It was a logistical nightmare for tee times.
They scrapped that in 2011. Now? If you’re in 61st place and you’re 11 shots back—or even just one shot back from the guy in 60th—you’re out. Pack your bags. There is no mercy.
Why the USGA Changed the Game
Why did they tighten it up? Pace of play is the big one. Television networks hate it when the leaders don't tee off until 3:00 PM because the field is too bloated. By limiting the weekend to the top 60 and ties, the USGA ensures that groups can go out in pairs with plenty of space between them. This allows the course setup crew to get aggressive. They can tuck pins in corners that would be impossible to play if you had 100 guys tramping over the greens all morning.
Comparing the Cut to Other Majors
It’s worth looking at how this stacks up against the other big three. The Masters is the most exclusive. They only take the top 50 and ties. Because the Masters field is already small (usually under 100 players), making the cut there is statistically "easier," but the pressure is arguably higher because of the prestige.
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The Open Championship (the British one) and the PGA Championship both take the top 70 and ties.
Basically, the US Open sits right in the middle. It’s harder to make the cut than at the PGA, but it’s not quite the "small club" feel of Augusta National. When you think about the 156 players who start on Thursday, seeing that number drop to roughly 65-70 players on Friday night is a massive cull. More than half the dreams in the locker room die before Saturday morning.
The Psychological Toll of the Cut Line
I've watched guys stand on the 18th tee knowing they need a birdie just to see Saturday. It’s a different kind of pressure. Usually, golfers are taught to look "up" the leaderboard. But on Friday? Everyone is looking down.
Take a look at the 2023 US Open at Los Angeles Country Club. The scoring was unusually low for a US Open because the marine layer kept the greens soft. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele were tearing it up. But down at the bottom, the cut fell at 2-over par. Guys like Phil Mickelson and Jordan Spieth were sweating it out. Phil actually missed it. Think about that. A multi-time major winner, someone with all the shots, couldn't survive the first two days.
That’s the thing about the US Open. The course doesn't care about your resume.
The Financial Sting
We don't talk about the money enough. Pro golfers are independent contractors. They pay for their own flights, their own hotels (which are price-gouged during major weeks), and they pay their caddies a base salary plus a percentage. If a player misses the cut, they often lose money on the week.
Sure, the USGA gives a small stipend (usually around $10,000) to players who miss the cut to help cover expenses. But compared to the $20 million total purse? It’s lunch money. For a young qualifier who ground through "Golf's Longest Day" just to get into the field, missing the cut by one stroke is a heartbreaking financial blow.
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The "Amateur" Problem
One of the coolest things about the US Open is that it is truly "open." Anyone with a handicap of 1.4 or lower can try to qualify. Every year, we get a handful of amateurs who make it into the field.
But here’s the kicker: Amateurs don't get paid.
If an amateur makes the cut—something Gordon Sargent did brilliantly recently—they are still fighting for that "Low Amateur" trophy. But they are also taking up one of those 60 spots. If five amateurs make the cut, that’s five fewer pros who get to play for a paycheck. It’s a weird dynamic in the locker room. You want the kids to do well, but you also want to be able to pay your mortgage.
How the Course Setup Dictates the Cut
The USGA has a reputation for "losing" golf courses. They want the winning score to be around even par. If the leaders are at 8-under after Thursday, expect the USGA to turn off the sprinklers and move the pins to the edges of slopes on Friday.
This directly impacts how many make the cut.
When the course gets harder as the day goes on, the "afternoon wave" of players usually gets screwed. They are playing a much firmer, faster course than the guys who went out at 7:00 AM. You’ll often see the cut line shift by two or three strokes in the final hour of play as the wind picks up and the greens turn into glass. It’s not fair. But then again, nobody ever said the US Open was supposed to be fair.
What Happens if There’s a Tie?
There is no "secondary cut" (MDF) like there used to be on the PGA Tour. If 15 people are tied for 60th place, all 15 of them play the weekend. This is why you’ll occasionally see a weekend field of 75 players. It’s also why Friday finishes are so chaotic. A guy finishing at 5:00 PM might think he's safe at 4-over, but if three players ahead of him stumble on the final hole, the cut line could move, and suddenly he's heading home.
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The Legend of the "Grind"
The US Open cut is the ultimate litmus test for a player's mental toughness. It's not about how many birdies you make; it's about how many bogeys you avoid.
Look at someone like Justin Rose or Brooks Koepka. These guys are "cut-making machines" in majors because they understand that a 15-foot par putt on Friday afternoon is just as important as a birdie putt on Sunday. They don't chase pins. They play to the fat of the green, take their two-putt, and move on.
If you want to survive the cut, you have to embrace the boredom of par.
Does it actually matter who makes it?
From a fan perspective, absolutely. We want to see the stars on Saturday and Sunday. When Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy is hovering right on the line, the TV ratings spike. There is a palpable tension in the gallery. You'll see thousands of fans following a player who is 5-over par, simply because they want to see if he can scrape his way into the weekend.
Final Insights for the Savvy Fan
If you're tracking the cut this year, keep these three things in mind:
- Watch the Weather: If the wind kicks up at 2:00 PM, the cut line will almost certainly move higher. A player who finishes early and is "on the bubble" usually ends up making it because the later players struggle.
- The Par 3s are Key: Most US Open cuts are "lost" on the long par 3s. Players get aggressive trying to make a birdie to get inside the line, end up in a deep bunker, and walk away with a double-bogey.
- The "10-Shot Rule" is Dead: Don't listen to your uncle if he tells you his favorite player is safe because he's within 10 of the lead. That rule is ancient history. It's top 60 or bust.
To truly understand the stakes, you have to watch the 18th green on a Friday evening. Watch the faces of the guys who finish. The relief of the guy at +3 who knows he’s safe versus the shell-shocked look of the guy at +5 who missed it by a hair.
Next Steps for Following the Leaderboard:
Check the live "Data Golf" or official US Open "Probable Cut" trackers during the second round. These tools use real-time scoring averages to predict exactly where the line will land. Also, keep an eye on the scoring average for the "Morning Wave" versus the "Afternoon Wave"—it’s usually the best indicator of whether the cut line will drift as the sun goes down.