Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy out

Updated: June 16, 2012, 1:08 AM ET
By Farrell Evans | ESPN.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- Luke Donald, the No. 1-ranked player in the world, missed the cut at the U.S. Open after a second-round 72 on Friday. His 11-over par was well outside the 8-over cut.

"It's not going to be good enough to play the weekend," Donald said before second-round play concluded. "I was a little off. And that's going to get you around a U.S. Open course.

"I think I missed nine putts inside 10 feet [Thursday] and just couldn't get the feel for the greens, the reads, the speed."

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The 34-year-old Englishman came into Olympic with high hopes of finally taking his first major championship. In late May, he got his second worldwide win of the year at the BMW PGA Championship in England.

Donald was grouped in the first two rounds with Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, the second- and third-ranked players in the world, respectively.

McIlroy, the defending U.S. Open champion, also will miss the weekend after rounds of 77-73 for a 10-over total.

It is the 23-year-old Northern Irishman's fourth missed cut in five events.

"Disappointed," said McIlroy, the second-ranked player who finished at 268 last year at Congressional to break the 72-hole record by four shots. "It wasn't the way I wanted to play."

Westwood, who shot a 3-over 73 in his first round, is safe after a 72 on Friday.

The last time the top two ranked players in the world missed the cut at the same major was last year's British Open, where Donald and Westwood went home after Friday at Royal St. George's. But from 1995 to 2010, the top two ranked players never missed the cut in the same major -- granted, Tiger Woods was No. 1 for most of that time.

Donald's tie for eighth at the 2011 PGA Championship was the best finish for a No. 1 in the past five majors.

"I want to win a (major) more than any of you guys know," Donald said. "And, obviously, I'll continue to try and do that."

Masters champion Bubba Watson also won't play on the weekend after a 71 on Friday left him at 9-over overall.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Farrell Evans

Golf
  • Senior golf writer for ESPN.com
  • Wrote for Sports Illustrated/Golf Magazine for 9 years
  • Played college golf at Florida A&M

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