Alright, so the US Open 2024 got going, and like pretty much every year, I found myself trying to get a handle on that projected cut line pretty early on. It’s always a bit of a guessing game, but I like to follow along.
First thing I did, naturally, was hop onto my usual sports websites. You know the ones. I started poking around their golf sections, looking for any mention of the cut. Usually, someone throws up an early projection, maybe based on how the course is playing.
Found a few numbers thrown out there, but honestly, they were all over the place, especially during that first day and early into the second round. One site would say +4, another might hint at +5. It felt a bit like throwing darts.
Digging a Little Deeper
So, I decided to get a bit more hands-on. I pulled up the live leaderboard. That’s usually the best bet, right? Just watch the scores as they come in.
My process here was pretty simple:
- Keep an eye on the players hovering around that 60th place mark (since it’s top 60 and ties that make it).
- Check their current scores.
- See how many players were still out on the course and what kind of scores they were posting.
This gave me a real-time feel, but it wasn’t exactly a solid “projection” because things change so fast. A couple of birdies from guys down the leaderboard, or a few bad holes from guys near the top, and that line could jump significantly.
I also tried checking out what some golf writers were saying on their feeds – not the main news outlets, but the individual reporters who are usually pretty plugged in. Sometimes they offer good insights based on who’s still out there and the conditions.
Dealing with the Fluctuations
Honestly, the most challenging part was just the constant movement. You’d think you have a number locked in your head, say +4, then a few guys finish strong, and suddenly +3 looks possible. Or the wind picks up, scores balloon, and +5 seems more likely.
I remember specifically watching a few key groups finish their rounds on Friday. You could almost see the projected line tick up or down based on just a handful of shots from players right on the bubble. It’s pretty nerve-wracking for them, and kind of fascinating to watch from the couch.
Eventually, I kind of stopped trying to find one single “projected” number from some expert. Instead, I just focused on the live leaderboard and the actual scores being posted. Watching the real-time standings around the 60th position mark felt more practical. You see who’s safe, who’s in trouble, and who needs a good finish.
So yeah, that was my little routine for tracking the US Open cut this year. Less about finding a magic prediction, more about just following the live action closely and seeing where the chips fell as the second round wrapped up. It’s always a fun part of the tournament drama.
