The Associated Press
MAMARONECK, N.Y. — Tiger Woods played this U.S. Open from under the trees, in the rough and, one time, even from the wrong course. It was torture to watch, certainly torture to play. Later in the afternoon, the torture was almost certainly bound to be over.
Woods made history of the wrong sort Friday, shooting 6-over 76 to finish the second round 12 over, 13 shots behind clubhouse leader Steve Stricker and needing nothing short of a miracle to avoid missing his first cut at the majors as a pro.
At the U.S. Open, the top 60 players and ties make the cut, along with anyone within 10 strokes of the lead.
When Woods finished, he was in a tie for 120th place. That meant 60 players would have to fall behind his score of 151. Even with half the 156-player field left to play in the afternoon and with conditions tough at Winged Foot, where the average first-round score was 75.98, the odds of that happening were minuscule.
Woods hadn’t missed a cut in a major since the 1996 Masters, his last year as an amateur, a stretch of 39 tournaments over nine years, tied with Jack Nicklaus for that record.
This was hardly the tribute Woods hoped to give to his late father, Earl, who died in May. Tiger took more than two months off after the Masters and this was his first tournament back. The U.S. Open ends Sunday, on Father’s Day, but Woods won’t be contending for a title at this one.
It was painful watching Tiger play. Although it wasn't pretty, at least he went out and played. For me, losing a parent or a sibling can be distracting for a long time. I don't blame him for not playing like "Tiger".