U.S. Open gets Tiger by tail

MAMARONECK, N.Y. – Tiger Woods is out of the U.S. Open and Steve Stricker leads it.

So who took this Open and moved it to an alternate universe?

Who turned Woods into a 76er? He shot that number for a second straight day Friday to miss his first cut in 38 majors as a professional.

“It helps us all,” first-round leader Colin Montgomerie, now one shot behind Stricker, said of Woods’ departure.

Who turned David Duval into, well, something resembling the old David Duval? Once No. 1 in the world, now ranked 385th, he posted the round of the tournament, a 68 (later matched by Arron Oberholser), made his first major cut since the 2002 PGA and climbed within six of the lead.

Don’t blame birthday-boy Phil Mickelson, who turned 36. He continues the dance for his third straight major title like Fred Astaire without Ginger Rogers, square in the hunt just four shots back after saving a final-hole bogey from the left trees to punctuate a second-round 73.

“I just love the fact that I have a chance,” Mickelson said, declining the opportunity to taunt his rival with any verbal parting gifts other than to say he was “surprised.”

Woods, avoiding the cliche, didn’t blame any lingering grieving over his father’s passing, but his game.

“I was not ready to play golf,” he said of his nine-week, post-Masters layoff.

But Winged Foot, for a second consecutive day, was more than ready.

So blame it for Woods and all the other carnage strewn about it after two rounds in which just six under-par rounds have been shot and only one player sat under par overall for a second straight day.

Blame the same karma that’s made Open winners of Lee Janzen and Andy North (each twice), Steve Jones, Lou Graham, Orville Moody, Jack Fleck, Ed Furgol and so many others of far less cachet than the game’s brighter stars.

For proof, consider some of the players who bettered Woods through 36 holes and made the cut to play the weekend.

Two Singhs, not just Vijay (six back after a 71-74 start), but Jeev (73-76).

A who’s who of who-are-theys including South African Charl Schwartzel (74-72) and unknown Americans Chad Collins (76-71) and Stephen Gangluff (76-73).

Drop those names at a barbecue this weekend and impress your friends.

For a time, the prime participant in the Kick Woods When He’s Down festivities was a Brit of little renown but substantial girth (6-foot-4, 245 pounds), Kenneth Ferrie.

Five holes from the end of his round, Ferrie owned a three-shot lead before back-to-back double-bogeys burst his bubble and dropped him two behind Stricker.

Mickelson two-putted every green on the front nine, not including a putt from the fringe on his first hole that doesn’t officially count. He opened with back-to-back bogeys and didn’t produce a single birdie until his 13th hole.

“It’s just a hard course and I think it will only get more difficult, provided the greens survive another day or two because most of them (are) just about dead,” he said.

Speaking of just about dead, there’s Stricker, whose short bio lists three PGA Tour victories (two in 1996), plus a near-miss at the 1998 PGA that Vijay Singh won outside Seattle, but no finishes the past three seasons among the top 150 money-winners. That left him with minimal playing privileges on tour this season.

“It’s been a long time … but it’s in there somewhere,” he said of his game after stacking a 69 atop an opening 70. “I know it’s in there.”

He’s still in it to win it, like Mickelson and so many others, including nine players within three shots of Stricker, five of them foreign-born.

But not Woods, who last missed a major cut as an amateur, at the 1996 Masters.

“I’ve always said it’s difficult to win majors in this era,” Montgomerie said. “Now Tiger is not here … it gives everybody an opportunity.”

• Former Washington State University golfer Dustin White shot a 75 and failed to make the cut, finishing at 13-over 153.