For the first time since the 1959 U.S Open at Winged Foot Golf Club, there is not a single Australian left to contest the final two rounds; Fox (73) finishing one shot inside the cut-line which fell at 4-over and saw 72 players advance.

The champion at LA Country Club three years ago, Wyndham Clark shot 69 in Round 2 to build a four-stroke lead at the halfway mark, with another former champ in Matt Fitzpatrick in a share of second with two-time major winner Xander Schauffele and Sam Stevens.

There are no Aussies among them as, on the same day the Socceroos went down 2-0 to the United States, Australia went 0-4 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Ripper GC team-mates Cameron Smith and Lucas Herbert had moments for optimism in Round 2, yet both would fall foul of difficult finishes.

With four birdies to go with a double-bogey and a bogey in his opening seven holes, Herbert was 1-under on his round through 13 holes, but made another double-bogey on 14 and followed it with bogeys at 15 and 16 to fall to 7-over for the championship.

A birdie at the 18th was little consolation, as Smith also ended 36 holes at 6-over par.

At a venue where short-game wizardry is a pre-requisite just to make pars, Smith was also making good progress midway through Round 2.

After shooting 5-over 75 on day one, Smith traded a birdie on 13 with a bogey on 15 to turn in even par for the day.

A superb second shot set up birdie at the par-4 third and then after an extraordinary second from near the hospitality tents to the left of the fourth fairway, two-putted from 38 feet to save par.

Bringing back memories of his 3-wood out of the bunker at the 2023 Masters, Smith then found the putting surface from 270 yards away and in the right bunker at the par-5 fifth; the two-putt birdie getting him back to 4-over and a chance of advancing.

However, as it gives, it more often takes away; Shinnecock striking back with a Smith three-putt from 19 feet on six and a second miss from inside five feet on eight for a round of 1-over 71.

Adam Scott’s 100th consecutive major came to an abrupt end with a second-day 75 consisting of seven bogeys and two birdies, while Min Woo Lee could have extended his stay, if not for a disastrous four-putt and triple-bogey at the par-4 14th.

Tied for 19th a year ago, Fox had to return early on Friday morning to complete his opening round, holing a putt from 10 feet for birdie to lodge an even-par 70.

Returning to the 10th tee to start his second round, Fox made bogey on 11, but got back to even par courtesy of a birdie from 22 feet on 12.

A four-putt at the par-5 16th would lead to a double-bogey seven; the 39-year-old having to wait until his penultimate hole for his second and final birdie of the day in a round of 3-over 73.
 
Round 2 Australasian scores
T46      Ryan Fox (NZ): 70-73 - 143
MC       Cameron Smith: 75-71 - 146
MC       Lucas Herbert: 74-72 - 146
MC       Min Woo Lee: 74-73 - 147
MC       Adam Scott: 73-75 - 148
WD      Jason Day