Tonight marked the first time since the world rankings were created in 1986 that the top three ranked golfers on the planet missed the cut at a US Open though.
Casey, the former world No 3, has always possessed so much talent that it is, in fact, a surprise that he has not figured at the business end of more majors.
He three-putted on No. 13.
Fears Rickie Fowler could run away with the lead never materialised with the American falling back into the pack with a one over par 73 to now be sharing fifth place at six under.
"It feels great. I came in this week with no expectations really at all", said the 22-year-old.
Champ said a practice round with former British Open victor Louis Oosthuizen and four-times major victor McIlroy on Monday helped his confidence.
Rory McIlroy and Jason Day never recovered from theirs.
And they had even more company.
Englishmen Paul Casey and Tommy Fleetwood and Americans Brian Harman and Brooks Koepka are sitting at seven-under, a shot ahead of Fowler, also of the USA, who had a one-over-par and is tied with compatriots J.B. Holmes and Jamie Lovemark. The cut for the top 60 and ties was at 1-over 145, tying a U.S. Open record low set in 1990 at Medinah.
Since Jason Day made his major championship debut at The Open in 2010, at least one of he and fellow Queenslander Adam Scott have made the cut.
Johnson also missed the cut at the Memorial, so this was the first time since 2013 (Pebble Beach, Riviera) that he has missed the cut in consecutive events.
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The 47-year-old South African posted a two-under-par 71.
Day, who also is playing Travelers next week, gathered his wife, Ellie, and son, Dash, and made plans to head home to OH the soonest that they could.
Friday wasn't almost as favorable for the world's three-top ranked players, none of whom will move onto the weekend. He ran off five straight birdies from the 17th to the third and, then, parred his way home with the sort of fortitude once displayed by his childhood hero Nick Faldo in his heyday. "I know if I go out and play the golf I'm capable of, good things should happen". "And unfortunately with where I was hitting it, I wasn't in the way".
It didn't for McIlroy, either.
It was McIlroy's first tournament since taking time off to tend to a recurring rib injury. He loved Erin Hills, a course with wide fairways between the knee-high fescue that he figured would allow him to attack.
"When you're trying to aim at a target usually at a normal golf course, with normal width fairways, there's some pressure in hitting the fairway".
He had a chat with swing coach Michael Bannon on Thursday night, and Bannon had observed that McIlroy's transition down from the top was simply too quick. And even that was frustrating. Matsuyama, a 25-year-old, four-time PGA Tour victor from Japan, had a putt for birdie on the par-5 18th hole, which would have been only the second 8-under round in U.S. Open history, matching Johnny Miller's 63 at par-71 Oakmont in 1973.
Brooks Koepka had the lead until he turned a birdie chance into a bogey on the par-5 first hole after making the turn.
"Show up for the last six holes, anyway", McIlroy said.
McIlroy won the US Open with a record 16-under-par total in 2011, but was a combined 50 over par for his seven other appearances before this week and missed the cut at Oakmont previous year following rounds of 77 and 71.
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