When the world's second, third and fourth ranked players go out on course together, fireworks are expected to follow.
Not so at unforgiving Oakmont where Jim Furyk, Phil Mickleson and Adam Scott went up in flames themselves.
Playing together for the first two rounds, the trio limped off on Friday with a combined total of 35 over par.
Furyk remained in contention for the title at six over after two rounds of 71 and 75, but Mickelson was likely to miss the cut after struggling to a 74 and a 77.
Scott meanwhile, a strong tip to do well at Oakmont after a tremendous year so far, looked like a sectional qualifier as he followed an opening 76 with an embarrassing 82.
Furyk said that Oakmont was quite simply one of the toughest golf courses in the world especially when the pin placements were as devilish as they were on Friday.
"It's just a mean golf course," he said.
"It's set up tough and there isn't a lot of leeway for poor golf shots. Rarely do you hit a marginal shot and get away with it and somethimes you hit a pretty darn good shot and it doesn't turn out well.
"This place is only going to get tougher and harder."
Mickelson, who has had the added disadvantage of having to cope with a painful wrist that he injured while practicing playing out of the punitive rough here said his plan for the afternoon was to "go watch the carnage on TV."
The three-times major title winner said he wouldn't be rooting for carnage as an aid to his chance of making the cut.
"I don't have to root for it, it's going to happen," he said.
Mickelson, Furyk and Scott of course were not alone in feeling the full blast of Oakmont's hoary breath.
The average score for Thursday's first round was slightly over 76, helped by the heavy rain that fell the previous evening taking the fire out of the glassy greens.
That figure was set to increase by a full stroke for Friday's second round with the projected cut being put at nine- or 10-over par.
To many players it's all a bit too much with the United States Golf Association taking the brunt of the criticism for toughening up its US Open courses over the last few years.
Others, like England's Ian Poulter, believe there is no use moaning and just accept it as the way it is.
"I am not going to say it is anything other than really hard," Poulter said after a disappointing second round of 77.
"But there is no point bitching and moaning that it is a difficult golf course because it is a tough golf course and it is not supposed to be easy."
