Lewis & Jones lead as big names struggle

Tiger Woods needed a 6-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to make the Buick Invitational cut, but two-time defending champion Phil Mickelson wasn't as lucky Friday and will miss the weekend rounds of his hometown tournament.

Woods and Mickelson grew up playing Torrey Pines and dominated the last three Buicks. But the world's top two golfers found out that the South Course wasn't nearly as familiar as it used to be. Local officials spent $3.3 million to make the course longer and tougher in an attempt to secure the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods played the South Course in 5-over 77 on Friday after shooting a 6-under 66 on the North Course on Thursday, which had left him two strokes behind first-round leader Mathew Goggin. The cut came at 1-under 143, which is right where Woods was.

J.L. Lewis and Kent Jones had no trouble on the South on Friday, both shooting 5-under 67s to share the second-round lead at 9-under 135. Jones was bogey-free.

Jay Haas and Mark O'Meara, who like Lewis are in their 40s, were tied with Rory Sabbatini at 136. Haas, the 1978 Buick winner, shot 68; O'Meara, the '97 winner, a 69; and Sabbatini a 66, all on the North.

The weekend rounds will be played on the South Course, where architect Rees Jones changed every tee box, bunker and green during the renovation.

A grim-faced Woods refused comment after signing his card at 18, but his body language said it all, all round long.

Woods couldn't look at his duck-hook drive on the par-4, 483-yard No. 4, then slammed the head of his new Nike driver to the ground. He did end up saving par. But he took a double bogey on the par-3, 198-yard third, where he had to take a drop after hitting his tee shot into a hazard to the left of the green.

Woods was off his game right away, with two bogeys and a double bogey in the first five holes.

Woods pulled his cap over his eyes for a moment after missing a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3, 176-yard eighth, then stared off into the distance. After hitting into the right rough on the par-5, 571-yard 18th, he angrily took a swipe at the air with his driver.

He needed a birdie on 18 after taking a double bogey on the par-4 17th. After his approach shot missed the green, he chunked a wedge shot just 5 feet. He chipped on and had to make a 10-footer for bogey, but pulled it left.

On 18, his downhill birdie putt was enough to run his consecutive cuts streak to 81, the fourth-longest in PGA Tour history. Although Woods considers his last cut to be at the 1997 Bell Canadian Open, tour officials consider him to have missed the cut at Pebble Beach in 1998. Because of rain, the final two rounds of that tournament were postponed until August, and Woods chose not to play them.

Mickelson started on No. 10 and got to 2 under for the tournament after bogeying three of his first eight holes. But he bogeyed 18 and fell apart on the front nine, including a triple bogey on the par-3 third hole.

Haas finished with an eagle on the North's par-5, 520-yard 18th.

Goggin had an awful round on the South. Starting on No. 10, he was 6-over 42after nine and finished at 76. He made the cut with a 140.

Eighty-nine players made the cut, the most since 90 in 1993. ... Duffy Waldorf, playing with Woods and John Cook, had a back spasm while getting ready to putt on No. 3, played through eight holes at even par and then withdrew. ... Steve Jones, Chris Perry and Billy Mayfair withdrew between the first andsecond rounds. ... Mickelson also missed the cut last week at Pebble Beach.

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