Lefty left out of final 2 rounds

OAKMONT, Pa. – No 72nd-hole collapse for Phil Mickelson at this year’s U.S. Open. No 72nd hole for Phil Mickelson, period.

Lefty and his bum wrist were dumped out of the Open by Angel Cabrera’s birdie on his last hole late Friday afternoon. He missed the cut for the first time in 31 majors since the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie, the longest active streak on the tour.

For all the fears about his aching wrist and what that thick, black brace more suited for bowling than birdies would do to his game, it was his putting that really hurt Mickelson. During a four-hole swing in which he dropped six strokes, he had a three-putt followed by a four-putt.

He finished with a 77 that left him with a 36-hole total of 151, one shot over the cut line. At 10-over 150, the cut equaled the Open’s highest in relation to par, set at Bethpage in 2002. It was 9 over last year at Winged Foot.

“I felt I had made a great move early in the round if I just kind of made a couple bogeys and didn’t do too much damage,” Mickelson said. “But (Nos.) 7 through 10 did me in. Six-over in those four holes – take six shots out and I’m right there at 5 over.”

Mickelson wasn’t the only big name to have his weekend free up. Colin Montgomerie, who had a spectacular flameout last year, finished at 18-over 158. Retief Goosen, Luke Donald and Sergio Garcia also went home early.

Mickelson craves this title, but the Open has shown him nothing but cruelty. Four times he’s been runner-up, usually the victim of bad luck or bad timing. Last year was all on Mickelson, a collapse of Normanesque proportions.

Needing only to make par on the 18th hole on Sunday, he pulled out his driver – never mind that he’d hit only two fairways the entire round – and overcut it. The ball clattered through trees before landing in trampled rough. Instead of playing it safe and punching out, he went for the green – and hit another tree. His third shot found a plugged lie in a bunker, burying his U.S. Open title hopes right along with it.