CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As the round hopelessly and painfully came to a close, the thousands of fans who were witness to something rarely seen were in the uncomfortable position of cheering on golf's best player without having anything to cheer about.
"Ugly" doesn't do justice to the golf that was on display Friday at Quail Hollow from Tiger Woods.
What word does?
The scandalous revelations of recent months, the distractions associated with his return to golf, the private family matters that are sure to be bothering him. … None of it would ever lead you to think such a poor showing was possible.
Forgettable Friday -- Worst 36-hole scores
Year Event Score
2010 Quail Hollow Champ. 153
2006 U.S. Open 152
1998 Tour Championship 151
2003 Masters 149
2007 Players Championship 148
1998 AT&T Pebble Beach 148
1996 Tour Championship 148
Woods shot 79 and missed the cut by a mile, the second-worst score of his professional career. Friday's tally was outdone only by an 81 in the third round of the 2002 British Open at Muirfield, where it rained sideways and the wind chill was in the 30s.
Here, it was sunny and mild, yet Woods shot rounds of 74-79, beat just 10 players in the field and finished 16 strokes behind Angel Cabrera, who played with him in the first two rounds.
Woods not only played poorly but clearly gave up -- something you never, ever see him do because he never, ever does. Until Friday.
ESPN