Kim Ju-hyung climbs to share of second at US Open, trails leader Clark by 4

Kim Ju-hyung, who earned his spot in the field through local qualifying, surged into a share of second place at the 126th US Open, which carries a purse of $22.5 million.

Kim carded a 3-under-par 67 on Friday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club (par 70) in Southampton, New York, posting four birdies against one bogey to reach a 36-hole total of 3-under 137. He joined Xander Schauffele of the United States, Matt Fitzpatrick of England and Sam Stevens of the United States in a four-way tie for second.

The US Open, organized by the United States Golf Association, is notorious for its demanding course setup and thick rough. Shinnecock Hills proved no exception, with strong winds and firm greens sending many top players over par. Kim, however, has used the tournament to stage a sharp turnaround after a prolonged slump.

Kim picked up his first birdie at the par-5 5th hole with a two-putt after reaching the green in two, but gave it back with a bogey at the par-4 6th, finishing the front nine at even par. He found his form on the back nine.

Kim opened his inward run with a 4.2-meter birdie putt at the par-4 10th, then drained a 4.8-meter putt at the par-4 12th to move further under par. He followed with a string of pars built on precise wedge play and steady course management before adding a 2.8-meter birdie at the par-5 16th to climb into the tie for second.

A three-time PGA Tour winner, Kim endured a severe slump last year, recording just one top-10 finish in 26 events. This season has been similarly lean across 14 starts, with a tie for sixth at the Myrtle Beach Classic in May his only notable result. The drought left him without an automatic US Open exemption, forcing him through the demanding local qualifying process.

Now four strokes behind two-day leader Wyndham Clark of the United States, Kim was candid about the journey. "I know a lot of people around me were worried because my results haven't been good lately," he said. "When I had to go through qualifying just to get into the field, it was mentally tough."

Kim said the grind of qualifying had ultimately sharpened him. "Shinnecock Hills demands a perfect shot every time. One lapse and you can drop strokes in an instant," he said. "But going through qualifying actually gave me a match-play kind of competitive edge and resilience. The harder the course, the more focused I feel."

He said he would not be distracted by the deficit heading into the weekend. "Wyndham Clark is playing well, but anything can happen on a major championship weekend," Kim said. "I'm not going to worry about the gap. I'll stick to my game plan and take it one hole at a time."

Clark, who opened with a 6-under 64 to take the first-round lead, added three birdies and two bogeys Friday for a 1-under 69, stretching his 36-hole total to 7-under 133 and his lead to four strokes.

Collin Morikawa of the United States fired the day's best round, a 5-under 65, to move to 2-under 138 and sole sixth place. Justin Thomas also climbed the board with a 2-under round, reaching 1-under 139 to share seventh alongside Sahith Theegala of the United States and others.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler of the United States, chasing a career Grand Slam, shot a 2-under 68 to move from a tie for 49th to a tie for 11th at even-par 140. World No. 2 Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland dropped one stroke and fell to a tie for 10th.

Im Sung-jae posted a 2-under 68 — five birdies, three bogeys — to reach 2-over 142 and a tie for 34th. Kim Si-woo, who struggled to a 7-over round Thursday, gained one stroke Friday but finished at 6-over 146, missing the cut by two shots.

Meanwhile, Jon Rahm of Spain, who had shared second after the opening round, collapsed to an 8-over 78 and missed the cut. Fellow LIV Golf player Dustin Johnson of the United States also struggled with a 7-over round, sliding to 3-over 143 and a tie for 46th. Bryson DeChambeau of the United States lost five strokes and also failed to advance.