<p>The world number one cast a forlorn figure as he trudged off the course after limping to the halfway stage at nine-over-par, eight shots off the cut-off line following his opening round of 74.<br /><br />Woods, competing in only his second tournament after a self-imposed break following revelations about his private life, finished with a nine-over total of 153, the worst 36-hole score of his career.<br /><br />The inept performance prompted questions about whether distractions in his private life were taking their toll, but Woods insisted they were not to blame. "Does it test you? Yes, of course it does," he told reporters. "Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that."<br /><br />But it was Billy Mayfair who quietly took the lead, carving out a second successive four-under 68. Last year's Masters champion Cabrera, partnered with Woods, shot a sparkling 67 to finish a stroke above a foursome including Mickelson.<br />However, his performance was overshadowed by the almost-unimaginable showing by Woods, whose missed cut was his first since last year's British Open and his first on home soil since the 2006 US Open.<br /><br />Woods at times looked like a weekend hacker as his game unravelled on the back nine.<br />There were already some worrying signs as he went through the first nine holes in even par with three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys, but few could have expected what was to unfold. He bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 12th holes to suddenly drop back to five-over-par. He stopped the bleeding with a par at the 13th before making a double-bogey at the 14th when he pitched over the green and into the water.<br />Worse was to come at the next hole when he four-putted for another double bogey. He closed with three pars to avoid shooting an embarrassing 80 but that failed to save him from an early exit.<br /></p>
<p>The world number one cast a forlorn figure as he trudged off the course after limping to the halfway stage at nine-over-par, eight shots off the cut-off line following his opening round of 74.<br /><br />Woods, competing in only his second tournament after a self-imposed break following revelations about his private life, finished with a nine-over total of 153, the worst 36-hole score of his career.<br /><br />The inept performance prompted questions about whether distractions in his private life were taking their toll, but Woods insisted they were not to blame. "Does it test you? Yes, of course it does," he told reporters. "Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number, and I didn't do that."<br /><br />But it was Billy Mayfair who quietly took the lead, carving out a second successive four-under 68. Last year's Masters champion Cabrera, partnered with Woods, shot a sparkling 67 to finish a stroke above a foursome including Mickelson.<br />However, his performance was overshadowed by the almost-unimaginable showing by Woods, whose missed cut was his first since last year's British Open and his first on home soil since the 2006 US Open.<br /><br />Woods at times looked like a weekend hacker as his game unravelled on the back nine.<br />There were already some worrying signs as he went through the first nine holes in even par with three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys, but few could have expected what was to unfold. He bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 12th holes to suddenly drop back to five-over-par. He stopped the bleeding with a par at the 13th before making a double-bogey at the 14th when he pitched over the green and into the water.<br />Worse was to come at the next hole when he four-putted for another double bogey. He closed with three pars to avoid shooting an embarrassing 80 but that failed to save him from an early exit.<br /></p>
