First, losing his temper and aggressively throwing his iron on the fairway and then crushing the tee box into pieces with frustration, Rory McIlroy narrowly survived the cut at the ongoing U.S. Open. And you know it’s been a rough week when McIlroy’s biggest smile comes from watching his best friend make an amateur mistake at Oakmont Country Club on Friday.

The trio of McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose entered the tournament with sky-high expectations, only to be disappointed at the U.S. Open’s most unforgiving venue. Well, apart from McIlroy, both Lowry and Rose missed the cut for the weekend at Oakmont, but before that, the 2019 Open champion left McIlroy in stitches.

Shane Lowry was enduring a complete mental breakdown. At +16 and completely out of contention, exhaustion was clearly taking its toll on the 2019 Open champion. On the 14th green, Lowry absent-mindedly picked up his ball without marking it first. The basic mistake earned him a one-stroke penalty. Although it was a blunder from Lowry, it did not matter because he was already 14-over when he lifted the ball, enough to exit the tournament.

His playing partner, Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, immediately saw the humor in the moment. Despite his own nightmare week, the 2025 Masters champion couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s mental lapse. “Maybe my mind was somewhere else,” Lowry laughed when recounting the marker incident to BBC Sport. “It’s one of the stupidest things I’ve done.” Well, Rory, who is having a tough time at Oakmont and still has to play on the weekend, needed this laugh, perhaps.

After completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters, his form had completely collapsed. He opened with a 4-over 74 at the third major. Then Friday brought pure disaster. Two double bogeys in his first three holes sent him spiraling. Currently sitting at +6, this represents a potentially historic territory. If the cut line holds at +7, it would end a remarkable six-year streak of making major championship weekends. His last missed major cut came back in 2019. The frustration boiled over on the par-5 12th. After another poor approach shot, McIlroy launched his club down the fairway in disgust.

Sometimes golf’s cruelest moments produce its most human ones. And this moment perfectly captured what Oakmont was doing to seasoned professionals. Both men were feeling the course’s psychological warfare differently. Lowry’s brain fade represented complete mental exhaustion. McIlroy’s club throw showed mounting frustration from a perfectionist. But as they say, you gotta laugh at your friend when they make a silly mistake, right? No matter how much trouble you’re in already.

The two Irishmen have been close since their amateur days, and even won the 2024 Zurich Classic together. Lowry was one of the first golfers to hug Rory when he won the Masters. Their children are also friends, as we all saw during the Par-3 contest at Augusta when Poppy casually made a sensational putt, and Lowry’s daughter, Ivy, picked her up in joy.

But McIlroy and Lowry weren’t alone in their struggles. Across the field, Oakmont was systematically dismantling even the most seasoned professionals.

Not just Rory McIlroy, other major champions battle Oakmont’s punishing setup

The course was systematically breaking down seasoned professionals. Friday’s field scoring average of 74.63 represents the highest first-round average at a U.S. Open since Shinnecock Hills in 2018. Only 10 players managed to break par in the opening round.

The course setup explains everything. Five-inch rough with no graduated penalties swallows any wayward shot. Greens running at 14’5″ to 14’9″ on the Stimpmeter create putting nightmares. The 28-yard-wide fairways offer minimal margin for error.

“You can’t let your mind slip on these greens for one moment, or else you’re going to be left with possibly a 10- to 15-footer on the next putt, if not worse,” warned Jordan Spieth.

The projected casualties extend far beyond Lowry. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau sits at +10, potentially missing his first U.S. Open cut since 2017. Justin Thomas (+12), Dustin Johnson (+10), and Ludvig Aberg (+8) all face likely early weekend departures if the cut line holds.

Meanwhile, McIlroy’s position at +7 appears safe for the weekend, though his struggles highlight just how challenging Oakmont has been for even the world’s elite players.

Golf’s unforgiving nature was on full display. Yet, it was also the human element that makes the sport compelling. The friendship that transcends scoreboards. The laughter that breaks through pressure. Their moment of shared humor will outlast any cut line.