Five of the world's top 11 didn't make it through to the weekend, which in a US Open is almost the norm. This place is unpredictable, but you have to hang in there.
So much can happen over the last couple of rounds in this tournament and so much will do. You saw Jason Day and Jordan Spieth going out in their third rounds aggressively and taking on the flags, showing why they're world No 1 and world No 2.
McIlroy will be pretty fed up looking at that, as he's in that category too but hasn't been able to join them. I don't know what happened to him on the third as he had a great break off the tee by not finding the sand, then sent his approach to 12 feet, but five minutes later was walking off with a double bogey.
It's not the first time that has happened to Rory and I'm not sure why it does, whether it's a lapse in concentration or a weakness in his putting. He's too good a player to let something like that carry on and miss the cut.
In the end, he missed it fairly comfortably with the problems he had at 18. It's tremendously disappointing and if he's watching, he'll be looking at Spieth and Day and realising how costly these holes have been.
If he'd have just hung on and got to 36 holes three or four over, he wouldn't have been where he was hoping but still within striking distance. He would've been able to push on like Spieth and Day did on Saturday.
It was a very good and important back nine early on Saturday for Andrew Landry, because things were starting to unravel and beginning to slip away. It looked like the occasion may get too much for him, but the way he bounced back to finish that second round was impressive.
He needs to keep doing that for the rest of the week, and it'll depend with how he copes with the experience. He has won on the Web.com Tour so knows what it's like to win, which will serve him in good stead.
A lot will also depend on his belief, as he's playing with Dustin Johnson who sends the ball a long way past him off the tee, but if he can hang around and post a 72 or 73, it'll give him a chance of finishing the week strongly.
Johnson's been so impressive in leading at the halfway stage and starting the third round like he did over the first couple of holes sent a message out to the rest of the field.
There may be six or seven who head in to the final round under par and depending how they set up the course for Sunday, there may be a couple who finish the tournament that way, but the USGA won't want it to be many!
By Ewen Murray
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