Competitive Rust Dooms Tiger Woods Again As He Misses Cut at U.S. Open

The three-time U.S. Open winner missed the cut by two shots after rounds of 74-73 and said he won't play again before the British Open

Tiger Woods missed the cut by two shots at Pinehurst No. 2 / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

PINEHURST, N.C. — Tiger Woods admitted the dilemma he faces when it comes to playing more golf as it relates to his physical issues. If he overdoes it, he risks not playing at all. If he doesn’t play enough, he lacks sharpness.

And so it was again at the U.S. Open, where Woods missed the cut by two shots despite some decent golf at times, showing signs of competitive rust that would be less apparent if he were able to play more.

Asked after a second-round 73 at Pinehurst No. 2 if he might attempt to play more going forward, Woods shut that idea down for now.

“I’ve only got one more tournament this season, so I’m not going to,” he said. “I don’t think even if I win the British Open, I don’t think I’ll be in the (FedEx Cup) playoffs. Just one more event and then I’ll come back whenever I come back.”

Of course, there are four tournaments weeks between now and the British Open at Royal Troon next month, so Woods has apparently ruled that out. His reasoning as he stated on Thursday was you “pick your poison.” Too much golf means potentially missing the tournaments he wants to play; not enough golf leaves him unprepared.

Friday’s 73 after an opening 74 was another example of plenty of decent golf, but just not enough of the nuance necessary to turn that score into one that would be closer to par and keep him around for the weekend.

It's a par for Tiger Woods at the last.

He will not make his 18th career U.S. Open cut. pic.twitter.com/QYgCD4OBDw

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 14, 2024

“It was probably the highest score I could have possibly shot today,” he said. “I hit a lot of good shots that just didn't quite go my way, or I hit good putts, and then I put myself in a couple bad spots with some bad lag putts. But again, as I said, it was probably the highest score I could have shot today.”

Woods, 48, made just three birdies in 36 holes with one on Friday, with some cruel burned edges on the back nine that would have brought him within the cut number. It was just his fourth tournament start of the year, with a withdrawal on the second day of the Genesis Invitational, a 60th- place finish at the Masters and now missed cuts at the PGA and U.S. Open.

The missed cut was the 25th of his career worldwide, 24 on the PGA Tour, in nearly 28 years as a pro. It was his 14th missed cut in a major championship and fourth in 23 U.S. Opens.

For some perspective, No. 1-ranked Scottie Scheffler, who hasn’t missed a cut in almost two years, has missed 16 in his pro career which began in 2018—or only nine behind Woods.

“Frustrating, not here for the weekend,” he said. “Granted, my ball striking and my putting felt like it was good enough to be in contention, and I’m not. It’s frustrating because I’m not here to have a chance to win on the weekend.”

Woods was not exempt for a major championship for the first time since the 1996 PGA Championship when he was still an amateur. The United States Golf Association gave him a special exemption to compete this week.

His schedule doesn’t allow him to earn his way into the U.S. Open via the Official World Golf Ranking or FedEx Cup criteria, so a top-15 finish was one avenue. So would be winning a major championship or a series of victories, which seems unlikely.

That means Woods faced the prospect of this being his last U.S. Open, although it’s certainly possible the USGA could give him another special exemption.

“I don’t know what that is,” he said of the possibility of it being his last. “It may or may not be.”

Woods won the U.S. Open three times and a total of nine USGA championships, matching the record held by Bob Jones. The USGA rewarded Jack Nicklaus with eight special exemptions and Arnold Palmer with five.