The Latest: Danny Willett has withdrawn from the U.S. Open

ERIN, Wisconsin — The Latest on the U.S. Open (all times local):

3:05 p.m.

Danny Willett has withdrawn from the U.S. Open with a back injury.

Willett shot a 9-over 81 in the first round and then withdrew before his tee time in the second round.

The Englishman won the Masters last year for his only PGA Tour victory.

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2:13 p.m.

It sounds as if Erin Hills is becoming more challenging with each passing minute.

Another warm, dry day is drying out the course during the second round of the U.S. Open, and the players are noticing a difference.

Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who shot a 1-under 71, says “I think the greens are getting U.S. Open-like, but not as firm as they’re going to get if we don’t get any rain. But I think definitely getting a lot speedier, a lot faster.”

Harris English is 4 under after a second-round 69. He says the greens on his last few holes “were firming up.”

English says “They want par to be a good score, and this afternoon it will be.”

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1:15 p.m.

Rory McIlroy is trying to make a run as he closes out his second round at the U.S Open.

But the second-ranked player in the world still has a lot of ground to make up at Erin Hills. McIlroy is 6 over for the tournament, 13 shots back of leaders Rickie Fowler and Paul Casey.

McIlroy has birdied three of his last four holes. He just missed an eagle at the par-5 seventh after a long putt rolled just wide of the cup.

McIlroy is back to even-par for the round after bogeying the first three holes on the front nine.

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12:50 p.m.

Another U.S. Open first for Xander Schauffele. This one he’d rather forget.

Schauffele double bogeyed the par-3 13th hole. His drive appeared to sail into the rough. Later, a long put for bogey rolled just right of the hole before he tapped in.

The 23-year-old from San Diego had been having an excellent debut at the Open. A run of 26 consecutive holes without a bogey ended when he rammed his long birdie putt on No. 9 about 12 feet by the hole and narrowly missed the par putt.

The double bogey at 13 dropped Schauffele out of the lead at 5 under, two shots back of Rickie Fowler and Paul Casey. Fowler tees off in the afternoon.

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Noon

Paul Casey’s birdie run is over.

But the Englishman now has a share of the lead at the U.S. Open.

Casey birdied five straight holes before a 32-foot putt for birdie No. 6 strayed a foot left of the hole at the par-4 fourth. He tapped in for par. Casey is tied with Rickie Fowler at 7 under for the lead.

It’s a nice comeback for Casey after he triple bogeyed the par-5 14th and shot 38 on the back nine. He’s back at 1 under as he finishes his round on the front nine.

Fowler tees off his second round in the afternoon.

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11:30 a.m.

Xander Schauffele had never made a bogey in the U.S. Open until the par-3 ninth hole at Erin Hills.

OK, this is his first U.S. Open.

The performance of the 23-year-old from San Diego has been no less remarkable. Schauffele went 26 consecutive holes without a bogey until he rammed his long birdie putt on No. 9 about 12 feet by the hole and narrowly missed the par putt. He still went out in even-par 36 and was one shot behind Rickie Fowler, who plays in the afternoon.

Also back in the mix: the mighty Paul Casey.

Casey chopped his way to an 8 on the par-5 14th and shot 38 on the back nine. The Englishman has roared back to life with four straight birdies and is back to being one shot off the lead.

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10:15 a.m.

Here comes Si Woo Kim.

The 21-year-old Kim is charging up the leaderboard in the second round of the U.S. Open. He birdied three straight holes to move into second at 6 under, one shot back of co-leaders Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele.

Kim won The Players Championship in May for his second PGA Tour title.

Bill Haas also is off to a nice start, with three birdies and no bogeys through his first eight holes. He is 3 under for the tournament.

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10 a.m.

Paul Casey is the latest example of how little it takes to record a big number in the U.S. Open.

Casey started the second round just one shot behind Rickie Fowler, and he tied Fowler briefly with a birdie on the par-4 11th hole before dropping a shot on the 12th. But that wasn’t the problem.

Casey laid up in the rough on the par-5 14th hole. His third shot went over the back of the green, and it took him five shots from there, including a chip that rolled back to his feet. He made an 8, and followed that with a tee shot into the rough to make a bogey.

Just like that, Casey is 4 over for the day and now five shots out of the lead.

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10:15 a.m.

Rory McIlroy and Jason Day are trying to make up ground at the U.S. Open — not on the leader, but on the cut line.

McIlroy (78) and Day (79) are coming off their worst scores ever in a U.S. Open, mainly because they couldn’t keep it out of the thick fescue that frames the wide fairways at Erin Hills.

Rickie Fowler opened with a 7-under 65. He doesn’t play until Friday afternoon. Among those trying to chase him down is Paul Casey of England, who was one shot behind.

The top 60 and ties make the cut at the U.S. Open. There no longer is a 10-shot rule that would allow anyone within 10 shots of the lead to make the cut.