That increased the likelihood of a seventh successive major producing a first-time victor, although the likes of Masters champion Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer - who claimed U.S. Open glory in 2014 - were handily placed four off the pace.
Rickie Fowler, the 18-hole leader, made an 8-foot birdie on No. 2 and was just getting going.
Now, he's still very much in play, at six under after shooting a 73. "So, it should be a fun weekend".
That group does not include defending champion Dustin Johnson, who fell away in the second half of his round, while Rory McIlroy and John Rahm will both have a watching brief during the concluding rounds in Wisconsin.
For the first time in a major, the top three players in the world all failed to make the cut. "Everything was in good shape". The last time Day missed a cut in a major was the 2012 PGA Championship, just a month after his son was born.
"It doesn't need to be too much of a change for this golf course to play pretty hard", he said. As we all know, this game is all about putting. "Part of that is just age and part I'll give credit to Johnny McLaren (his caddie), credit to my wife and my little boy".
"Guess what? We get to go home today because Daddy played poorly", Day said to his son, Dash, before walking over to sign autographs. If only he had hit the fairways.
Champ said a practice round with former British Open victor Louis Oosthuizen and four-times major victor McIlroy on Monday helped his confidence.
For the second consecutive day, the massive layout was at the mercy of the best golfers in the world, who took turns battering par and the course in the second round of the U.S. Open.
"I thought 63 was the number".
"It's not every day you enjoy a round of golf with an 8 on the card, but I'm a pretty happy man", Casey said.
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There's a four-way tie for the lead at the U.S. Open. "There were a couple of loose swings out there, but when you shoot 65, you can take those".
The weather forecast will play a vital role...
With only eight shots separating top to bottom going into the weekend, someone from way back has a chance to make up ground in a hurry. "I've never done this before".
"Even though it's very disappointing to not be here on the weekend, I think these last two rounds will serve me well going into the summer", added the 28-year-old, who has added the Scottish Open to his schedule in between the Irish Open and Open Championship.
"You can not play this golf course if you're not in position off the tee and I wasn't in position", McIlroy said. I feel like the golf game is there. "And I was proud I hung in there".
The World No.14 ranked Casey went into day two sharing second but slumped under the weight of dropping five strokes in a four-hole run from his third hole, and included in that stretch was the triple on his fifth hole.
"I've shown what can happen with one bad swing".
"Struck it well, hit a bunch of greens, and that's what you've got to do to play well around here".
Eight of the top 12 players in the world won't be around for the weekend at Erin Hills, leaving a tournament as open as the land on which it was built.
"I was upset with the score I had made, but it had, in no way, any effect on my attitude or how I was going to then approach the rest of the round or the next shot".
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