CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Tiger Woods had a shocking meltdown Friday at the Quail Hollow Championship, matching the worst nine-hole score of his PGA Tour career and ending up with a 7-over 79 to miss a cut for only the sixth time in his 14-year career.
He had three-putt bogeys on consecutive holes. He hit a flop shot that ran over the green and into the water. And he bottomed out on the 15th green with a four-putt double bogey from just over 30 feet.
"It is what it is," Woods said when asked if rust or mechancis were the culprit. "Whatever it was, it wasn't good enough."
Not even close.
Making the performance even more surprising is that Woods was coming off a tie for fourth at the Masters three weeks ago, a remarkable performance considering it was his first competition since a five-month break after being caught cheating on his wife.
This was his first time playing at a regular PGA Tour event with public ticket sales, and with only a few exceptions, the crowd was as gracious as ever. It was clear over the last two days the fans were more interested in Woods as a golfer than anything to do with his personal life. He just didn't give them much to cheer. And he won't be around for the weekend.
Billy Mayfair was the leader through 36 holes. At 8-under 136 after a 68, he had a one-shot lead over two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, who played in Woods' group.
For Woods, it was the first time he had missed a cut since the British Open last summer at Turnberry, and the first time at a regular PGA Tour event since the Disney Classic at the end of the 2005 season.
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