Woods lets frustration boil over

Tiger Woods’ frustration was there for all to see today as he headed for his worst-ever finish in a major since he turned professional in 1996.

Already nine strokes adrift of surprise pacesetter Shaun Micheel at the halfway stage of the United States PGA championship at Oak Hill Woods he could add only a 73. And he needed two late birdies for that.

It left the world number one joint 49th of the 70 players who had survived the halfway cut. His worst finish in a major as a pro is 29th – both at the US PGA in 1997 and two years ago.

Bogeys at the first two holes were both the result of drives into the thick rough and when another, with a three wood, dived into heavy rough again on the seventh Woods slammed the club back into the bag. He had yet to find a fairway off the tee.

As on the first and second holes he had no hope of making the green and his chances of lifting his first major since the United States Open in June last year receded further.

He finally made a fairway at the ninth, only to bogey that as well to be out in a four over 39. The birdies then came at the 14th and 15th, but short of the green in two at the 482-yard par four last he chipped over the green and dropped back to nine over.

That was 12 adrift of shock overnight leader Micheel, but the 34-year-old, without a single US Tour win to his name, had still to resume on three under

Partnered as Woods was by current US Open champion Jim Furyk, a huge crowd had gathered to see if he could make a charge through the field. But instead they saw him lose further ground.

The fans who had read their local morning paper knew there was a limit to how much they could encourage him on, though.

It reported that during Woods’ second round a spectator patted him on the back after a shot from the trees.

“Do that again, buddy, and you’ll be tasting my Nike five iron,” he said with an icy stare in the man’s direction.

“I’ve just been a touch off,” he said. “I’ve putted well, but par putts are not going to get it done. If you are a little off here that’s it.”

He had no criticism for the set-up of the 1995 Ryder Cup course – but he did for Carnoustie for the 1999 Open.

“This is the hardest fairest course we’ve ever played,” he commented.

“Carnoustie was not fair. That’s one fantastic course, but they just did not set it up fairly.” He finished 10 over par there – and was seventh!

“I’ve fought on every shot,” added Woods. “If I had bagged it (slang for giving up) I could have shot a million.”

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, meanwhile, recovered from a scrappy start to shoot 69. But having survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare at eight over he was still only seven over.

Playing partner Gary Evans had a 71 for nine over, the same as Ian Poulter (72), while Paul Casey dropped three shots in the last two holes for a 75 and 13 over aggregate.

Leading British and Irish player at halfway was Luke Donald on five over and with five to play he had improved to four over and joint 25th.

Micheel, without a single US Tour win to his name and almost as little known as Open champion Ben Curtis before his win last month, led by two from Masters winner Mike Weir and Billy Andrade.

Curtis was 396th in the world when he won. Micheel is 169th.

First big move of the day came from 45-year-old American Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, who birdied four of his first six holes and with three to play was up to two over. But then came a bogey at the 16th.

Jay Haas, four years older and trying to become the oldest-ever winner of a major, had four birdies in a row from the second and after a bogey at the short sixth he birdied the next as well to climb back to level par and joint fourth place.