MAMARONECK, N.Y. - Steve Stricker holed out twice from the bunker for birdie, the last one giving him the lead. The crowd cheered at every turn for David Duval, not out of sympathy but for putting himself in the hunt at the U.S. Open.

Winged Foot was full of surprises Friday, none bigger than Tiger Woods going home early.

Woods returned from his longest layoff by making his earliest departure at a major, missing the cut in a Grand Slam tournament for the first time as a pro and leaving this U.S. Open in the hands of an eclectic mix of players that includes Phil Mickelson, his biggest rival.

“I don't care if you had what transpired in my life of recent or not,” said Woods, playing for the first time since his father died and posting rounds of 76-76 to miss by three shots. “Poor execution is never going to feel very good.”

About the only thing that feels good at Winged Foot is getting off the course with limited damage.

Stricker was stumbling with consecutive bogeys from the bunker, and another one loomed when he pulled his 9-iron into the sand left of the ninth green. Hoping to get it close, he sank the shot for an unlikely birdie and a 1-under 69 that left him the only player under par going into the weekend at 139.