2023 U.S. Open leaderboard breakdown: Rickie Fowler still on top as Rory McIlroy threatens after stellar start

Fowler did enough to maintain his top spot on the leaderboard but big names are coming after him on Moving Day

"Par is your friend." A phrase frequently uttered during the week of our national championship has not been applicable at the 2023 U.S. Open, especially not for 36-hole leader Rickie Fowler. Carding birdies on half of his holes through two rounds, Fowler has set the high mark in championship history with 18 birdies at this stage of the tournament and tied the 36-hole scoring record of 130 (10 under) first set by Martin Kaymer in 2014 -- the year Fowler ultimately finished runner up.

Nearly a decade removed from finishing inside the top five of each of the four major championships, Fowler's journey to this point looked a lot like his scorecard on Friday at Los Angeles Country Club: eight birdies, six bogeys and six pars. An up-and-down few couple years will make the weekend sweeter no matter the result, but believe it when Fowler has eyes on taking down the third major championship of the year and fending off a star-studded cast of characters along the way.

Wyndham Clark will enter the weekend as Fowler's closest pursuer, but Rory McIlroy remains his biggest competition. The world No. 3 has played the front side of LACC in 10 under (with 11 birdies!) through the first two rounds and leaned on six birdies on his second half today to catapult his name into contention at 8 under. 

McIlroy is joined by first-round leader Xander Schauffele, who scrapped his way to an even-par 70 with two late birdies on a couple of the course's most difficult holes. Dustin Johnson experienced his fair share of adversity en route to a 70 of his own to sit at 6 under. Meanwhile, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler continues to poke his head around and is in prime position to notch major No. 2 from 5 under with Champion Golfer of the Year Cameron Smith lurking just one further back.

2023 U.S. Open leaderboard, Round 2

1. Rickie Fowler (-10): There were plenty of moments in Fowler's second round where it felt like he was going to seize control of this championship. On the flip side, there were equally as many where it felt like he would boot it away. Fowler opened his back nine with three bogeys and a birdie in his first four holes and played the most difficult stretch of LACC in 1-under fashion to put a bow on an up-and-down day. Fowler currently ranks second in strokes gained tee to green and second in strokes gained putting, but he exposed a crack in his armor with the putter. The five-time winner had 3-putt bogeys on Nos. 7, 11 and 13; it may be something to keep an eye on as the pressure ramps up.

2. Wyndham Clark (-9): The rise of Clark has been a joy to watch in 2023, and it continued through 36 holes of just his seventh major championship. The Wells Fargo Championship winner has employed the two-pronged approach of blitzing driver off the tee and holing timely putts. How long this can last will be intriguing, but Clark's continued excellence is no fluke. In his first six majors, Clark carded just one round in the 60s. He already has two of those at LACC.

T3. Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele (-8): A slow start on the difficult back nine saw McIlroy drift to 3 under for the championship and five behind the overnight leaders who had yet to tee off. However, as he did Thursday, McIlroy lit the front nine at LACC on fire. Six birdies on this side saw him come in 30 and a near ace putt an exclamation point on his sprint to the finish line. His effort through 36 holes marks his best since the 2011 U.S. Open when he boat raced the field at a susceptible Congressional Country Club.

"I started thinking about winning this thing when I came here on Monday," said McIlroy. "I've already done that. No one wants to win another major -- no one wants me to win another major more than I do. The desire is obviously there. I've been trying and I've come close over the past nine years or whatever it is, and I keep coming back. I feel like I've showed a lot of resilience in my career, a lot of ups and downs, and I keep coming back. And whether that means that I get rewarded or I get punched in the gut or whatever it is, I'll always keep coming back."

5. Harris English (-7): Fowler's resurgence makes the headlines, but English is enjoying one of his own. In 2021, English found himself inside the top 10 in the Official World Golf Rankings, twice a winner on the PGA Tour, nominated for Player of the Year honors and a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup Team. Clawing his back post-labrum surgery, English finds himself in a perfect spot to contend at his third U.S. Open in the last four years having notched top-five finishes at Winged Foot and Torrey Pines.

T6. Dustin Johnson, Min Woo Lee (-6): The 2016 U.S. Open winner was punched in the mouth early in Round 2. Carding a quadruple-bogey 8 on No. 2, Johnson backtracked to 2 under less than an hour into his day. He battled back as greats do carding five birdies against one bogey the rest of the way to scratch out an even-par 70 and remain in the mix of this championship. Johnson has gotten off to nice starts in two of the last three major championships but has faded as the week has progressed. It appears his gritty effort on Friday may have put this to an end.

"Making a quad on No. 2 definitely didn't get the day started off kind of how I envisioned it starting today," said Johnson. "But to battle back and get it back to even par for the day and 6 under for the tournament [was great], so [I'm still] still right in the mix going into the weekend. Definitely proud of the way I came back and finished off the round."

T8. Sam Bennett, Scottie Scheffler (-5): The term "inevitable" gets thrown around plenty when discussing golfers, but there may not be a better term to describe the world No. 1's presence on the first page of the leaderboard. Scheffler began his second round on the second nine and turned in 1 over -- this actually gained a stroke on the afternoon wave -- before his eyes got wide on the easier front nine. Three birdies and six pars put Scheffler in position to contend at the U.S. Open for the third straight year.

10. Cameron Smith (-4): Smith's championship has been emblematic of his season. Getting off to a slow start, the Champion Golfer of the Year has slowly but surely risen the leaderboard as the tournament has progressed. He was solid on Thursday and more of the same was in store Friday with a few more conversions on the greens leading to a 67. Some have compared LACC to a golf course they would find in Australia's Sand Belt Region; that should only help Smith as it continues to bake out over the final two days.

"I just love the turf, the way it runs out," said Smith. "I think it will start to play firmer and faster as the weekend goes on. But yeah, hopefully this place gets really baked out and we can have some fun out there."

[Jun 16, 2023 at 9:47 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Fowler tacks on 18th birdie of the week

This is legitimately absurd! Fowler birdies No. 17 to return to 10 under on the week. He only has three pars on his scorecard today as as a seesaw battle has unfolded. He goes to the 18th alone atop the leaderboard. No way he can add one more…right?

[Jun 16, 2023 at 9:24 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Leaders leaking oil

Xander Schauffele just made bogey on the par-5 14th to drop to 7 under, and Rickie Fowler is about to drop a shot on No. 16. There is a very real possibility Wyndham Clark is atop this leaderboard and with a date with Rory McIlroy in tomorrow's final group.

[Jun 16, 2023 at 9:03 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Fowler eyes chance to get to -10

After leaving his birdie bid on 14 in the jaws, Fowler hits his tee shot on 15 to 7 feet and will have that to get to 10 under. Xander Schauffele dropped a shot on the 13th leaving just Fowler and Wyndham Clark atop the leaderboard. This leaderboard is looking very similar to a tournament held in…Charlotte, North Carolina.

[Jun 16, 2023 at 8:36 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Rickie's lag putting an issue

Despite a number of makes inside 20 feet, Fowler has been poor outside 50 feet today. He 3-putted Nos. 7 and 11 and just did the same at No. 13. It is something to keep an eye on as he completes his round. He has a par 5 and a wedge opportunity on No. 15 ahead of him before the very long and difficult finishing stretch.

[Jun 16, 2023 at 8:11 pm ET · Patrick McDonald]

Fowler backs up

A pair of bogeys on Nos. 10-11 have Fowler back to 9 under and just 1 under for the day. LACC is showing teeth right now (much to the delight of the golf architect nerds). Fowler is tied with Schauffele who is on the tough 11th and Wyndham Clark who is sitting pretty in his rental house somewhere.