Round 1 of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills began under a fog delay that pushed well into Friday morning. Despite the disruption, Matt Fitzpatrick made the most of the kinder condition, carding a 67 to sit just three shots off the lead. Round two, however, has played out very differently for him after he earned a free relief that he could not convert.

The US Open’s official X account posted a clip of Fitzpatrick’s ball coming to rest on Tuckahoe Road, the public street that runs through the 12th fairway at Shinnecock Hills.

“Free relief for Matt Fitzpatrick from Tuckahoe Road, which runs through the 12th fairway. He gets a drop within one club length, no closer to the hole. Play on.”

Under Rule 16.1 of the Rules of Golf, a paved road is classified as an unmovable obstruction, which qualifies as an abnormal course condition. When a ball lands on or against one, the player is entitled to free relief with no penalty stroke. The drop is taken at the nearest point of complete relief within one club length and no closer to the hole.

Round two had been a mixed bag for Fitzpatrick even before the road came into play. Earlier in the round, he produced a remarkable recovery from a sandy area on the par-4 sixth that was applauded by commentators. It was a great save, and he almost played it like a bunker shot. By the time his ball settled on a Tuckahoe Road at par-4 12th, he had already made back-to-back bogeys on the 11th and 12th.

Fitzpatrick was not the first to find it this week. In round one, Bryson DeChambeau launched a tee shot that hit the road. It bounced to 45 yards from the hole and went into a ramp for a 427-yard drive. He recorded a birdie after that.

After that, he followed up with a birdie on the 13th hole and later made bogeys on the 14th and 15th. Despite the late setbacks, he remained in contention, finishing the round at even-par 70, tied for 16th place, six shots back of Wyndham Clark’s lead.

Fans are not happy as they call out Matt Fitzpatrick 

A fan commented, “Matt Fitzpatrick, lad, we’ve got to get moving on now, enough dilly-dallying,” while another said, “Matt Fitzpatrick 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 had a chance to close the gap and put pressure on Clark. Instead, he hacks up the course and creates a larger gap. Pathetic stuff. #USOpen”

The callout is real. Clark had opened the championship with 3 under 67, with Fitzpatrick right behind on the trail. However, the second round proved far more difficult for Fitzpatrick as he found trouble, including an errant shot into the rough. Clark, meanwhile, has continued to show remarkable composure. He has stretched his advantage to 7 under par as he still leads the leaderboard.

Another fan was disappointed as they wrote, “What in the world is Matt Fitzpatrick doing these last few holes?”

The frustration from fans is understandable. Fitzpatrick entered the week as one of the hottest players on tour, with three wins in his last nine starts and runner-up finishes at both The Players Championship and the RBC Canadian Open.

One commented, “Matt Fitzpatrick not one good shot all day, except a lucky chip in that would have gone 30 ft past if it hadn’t hit the flag. No game at all”

Fitzpatrick has eventually found his footing, and now what happens over the weekend remains to be seen.