<div align="justify">England’s Paul Casey featured in a four-way tie at the top of the 117th US Open leaderboard on Friday as the big guns crashed out of contention.<div align="justify"><br />On another day of low-scoring at the Erin Hills course in Wisconsin, Casey and compatriot Tommy Fleetwood were bunched on seven under alongside Americans Brooks Koepka and Brian Harman after the second round.</div><div align="justify"><br />Behind the leading quartet, a logjam grouped eight players within two shots of the lead.</div><div align="justify"><br />Jamie Lovemark, Rickie Fowler and JB Holmes featured in a three-way tie at six under.</div><div align="justify"><br />South Korea’s Kim Si-Woo and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were among five players on five under which also included amateur Cameron Champ.</div><div align="justify"><br />Matsuyama, who had struggled in the opening round with a two-over-par 74, produced an electrifying second round seven- under-par 65 to thrust himself firmly into contention.</div><div align="justify"><br />American Chez Reavie also scored 65 on a day when Erin Hills failed for the most part to bare its fangs.<br />With the past six majors going to players who have never won a major before, there is a good chance that run could be extended this weekend.<br /><br />None of the top 18 players on the leaderboard have won a major championship before and stars such as world number two Rory McIlroy and Australia’s Jason Day both missed the cut.</div><div align="justify"><br />Casey took his place amongst the leading group after recovering from an early implosion that sent him plunging down the leaderboard.</div><div align="justify"><br />Casey, who had shot a six-under-par 66 on Thursday, came unstuck with a disastrous triple bogey eight on the 14th after teeing off on the 10th hole.<br /><br />However the 39-year-old world number 14 unfurled a sequence of five straight birdies to haul himself back up the leaderboard, carding a one-under-par 71 to finish the day at seven under.<br />“Not every day you enjoy a round of golf with an eight on the card, but I’m a pretty happy man,” Casey said. “It was a bit of a roller coaster.”<br /><br />Scores (US unless specified): 137: Paul Casey (Eng) (66, 71), Brian Harman (67, 70), Brooks Koepka (67, 70),Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) (67, 70); 138: Jamie Lovemark (69, 69), Rickie Fowler (65, 73), JB Holmes (69, 69); 139: Kim Si-Woo (Kor) (69, 70), Xander Schauffele (66, 73), Cameron Champ-a (70, 69), Brandt Snedeker (70, 69), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) (74, 65); 140: Brendan Steele (71, 69), Marc Leishman (Aus) (68, 72), Harris English (71-69, Bill Haas 72-68, Charley Hoffman 70-70, Chez Reavie 70-65; 141: William McGirt (70, 71), Russell Henley (71, 70), Sergio Garcia (Esp) (70, 71), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) (69, 72).<br /><br /><br /></div></div>
<div align="justify">England’s Paul Casey featured in a four-way tie at the top of the 117th US Open leaderboard on Friday as the big guns crashed out of contention.<div align="justify"><br />On another day of low-scoring at the Erin Hills course in Wisconsin, Casey and compatriot Tommy Fleetwood were bunched on seven under alongside Americans Brooks Koepka and Brian Harman after the second round.</div><div align="justify"><br />Behind the leading quartet, a logjam grouped eight players within two shots of the lead.</div><div align="justify"><br />Jamie Lovemark, Rickie Fowler and JB Holmes featured in a three-way tie at six under.</div><div align="justify"><br />South Korea’s Kim Si-Woo and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama were among five players on five under which also included amateur Cameron Champ.</div><div align="justify"><br />Matsuyama, who had struggled in the opening round with a two-over-par 74, produced an electrifying second round seven- under-par 65 to thrust himself firmly into contention.</div><div align="justify"><br />American Chez Reavie also scored 65 on a day when Erin Hills failed for the most part to bare its fangs.<br />With the past six majors going to players who have never won a major before, there is a good chance that run could be extended this weekend.<br /><br />None of the top 18 players on the leaderboard have won a major championship before and stars such as world number two Rory McIlroy and Australia’s Jason Day both missed the cut.</div><div align="justify"><br />Casey took his place amongst the leading group after recovering from an early implosion that sent him plunging down the leaderboard.</div><div align="justify"><br />Casey, who had shot a six-under-par 66 on Thursday, came unstuck with a disastrous triple bogey eight on the 14th after teeing off on the 10th hole.<br /><br />However the 39-year-old world number 14 unfurled a sequence of five straight birdies to haul himself back up the leaderboard, carding a one-under-par 71 to finish the day at seven under.<br />“Not every day you enjoy a round of golf with an eight on the card, but I’m a pretty happy man,” Casey said. “It was a bit of a roller coaster.”<br /><br />Scores (US unless specified): 137: Paul Casey (Eng) (66, 71), Brian Harman (67, 70), Brooks Koepka (67, 70),Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) (67, 70); 138: Jamie Lovemark (69, 69), Rickie Fowler (65, 73), JB Holmes (69, 69); 139: Kim Si-Woo (Kor) (69, 70), Xander Schauffele (66, 73), Cameron Champ-a (70, 69), Brandt Snedeker (70, 69), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) (74, 65); 140: Brendan Steele (71, 69), Marc Leishman (Aus) (68, 72), Harris English (71-69, Bill Haas 72-68, Charley Hoffman 70-70, Chez Reavie 70-65; 141: William McGirt (70, 71), Russell Henley (71, 70), Sergio Garcia (Esp) (70, 71), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) (69, 72).<br /><br /><br /></div></div>