Woods heading home

Associated Press

JOHNS CREEK, Ga.

Hardly anyone knows the two guys leading the PGA Championship.

No one even recognized Tiger Woods.

Once identified by either his No. 1 ranking or his 14 majors, Woods missed the cut at Atlanta Athletic Club with a performance that was even more shocking because of the numbers he compiled.

He hit into 22 bunkers. He put four balls in the water. His five double bogeys were the most he ever made in one tournament.

With one final bogey for a 3-over 73, Woods finished out of the top 100 for the first time ever in a major. He was 15 shots behind Jason Dufner, who has never won a PGA Tour event, and Keegan Bradley, playing in his first major.

“I got some time off again,” said Woods, who doesn’t expect to tee it up again until the Australian Open in November.

Based on the last two days, he has a lot of work to do.

At least he went out in style — one more bunker off the tee at No. 18, one more shot into the pond fronting the green.

He was angry Thursday when he opened with a 77. He looked numb when he left.

“Obviously frustration, disappointment that I’m not contending in the tournament,” Woods said.

Now the only question is when — and where — he will play next.

Woods failed to qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs, which he has won two of the last four years, meaning he is ineligible for any PGA Tour event for the next six weeks. The Australian Open starts Nov. 10, although he would not rule out playing somewhere — perhaps a Fall Series event — before then.

Meantime, it’s back to practice.

“Now I’ll have nothing to do but work on my game,” he said. “That’s going to be good.”

Woods wasn’t the only star to miss the cut.

The wreckage included 2009 British winner Stewart Cink, who was especially down about heading home after his second-round 78 on the par-70 layout, since it’s only a short drive to Duluth.

Defending PGA winner Martin Kaymer is out, along with last year’s hard-luck loser Dustin Johnson.

“Overall, it was a frustrating tournament because nothing went my way,” said Kaymer, who finished at 5-over.

Angel Cabrera, the Masters champ two years ago, came up short, as did Darren Clarke, this year’s British Open champ. But Clarke was gone after rounds of 78-76.