Tiger Woods (+8) missed one cut in his first 48 majors. After shooting 3-over 73 in the second round at Pinehurst No. 2 — in what he signaled may be his final U.S. Open appearance — the 82-time PGA Tour champion will miss his second cut in three major starts of 2024.

“Well, it's one of those things where in order to win a golf tournament, you have to make the cut,” Tiger said after his round. “I can't win the tournament from where I'm at, so it certainly is frustrating. I thought I played well enough to be up there in contention. It just didn't work out.”

Outside of a solid front-nine on the greens and a few flashes of finesse, a rusty Tiger stumbled to a 4-over 74 in his opening round on Thursday amid the sweltering humidity of North Carolina. Still, an even-par-or-better round would've allowed the three-time U.S. Open champion to complete 72 holes.

On Friday afternoon, Tiger got the crowd roaring with a vintage birdie putt on the 523-yard par-4 fourth. He immediately gave it back, though, with a bogey on the mammoth par-5 sixth. He also bogeyed the par-3 ninth, the par-4 12th, and the par-4 16th.

Tiger  gained strokes on the field with his short game and performed barely below-average from tee-to-green. Ultimately, a few tough rolls off the firm-and-fast turtleback greens of Pinehurst No. 2,  combined with unreliable putting was enough to cost him the weekend.

“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.”

The cut line (the top 6o scores plus ties) settled at +5.

“Frustrating,” Tiger reiterated when asked to describe his result. “I'm not here for the weekend, Granted, my ball-striking and felt like my putting was good enough to be in contention, and I'm not. Yes, it is frustrating because I'm not here to have a chance to win on the weekend.”

In late 2023, Tiger — coming off season-ending ankle surgery — stated his goal was to play “about a tournament a month” in 2024. He later revised that goal, setting aim on the four majors plus his host event, the Genesis Invitational in February.

The 48-year-old withdrew at Riviera the second round due to illness. He made a record 24th consecutive cut at the Masters before finishing last, then missed the cut at the PGA Championship. The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon begins July 18 in Scotland.

“I've only got one more tournament this season, so I'm not going to — I don't think even if I win the British Open I don't think I'll be in the [FedEx Cup] Playoffs,” Tiger said. “Just one more event and then I'll come back whenever I come back.”

Tiger earned a spot in the 2024 U.S. Open field on a special exemption. (The PGA Tour policy board — of which Tiger Woods is a member — is reportedly considering a lifetime exemption for Signature Events.)

“As far as my last Open Championship or U.S. Open Championship, I don't know what that is. It may or may not be,” Tiger said before concluding his press conference at Pinehurst No. 2.