SYDNEY- Greg Norman missed the cut for the first time in 22 years on Australian home soil after another disappointing performance on Friday, this time at the tournament bearing his name.

The former world number one crashed out of the Greg Norman International at The Lakes in Sydney, an event he won last year, after adding a second round 76 to the 77 he shot on Thursday.

Norman, who returned to competitive golf in November after six months out recovering from shoulder surgery, said he was saddened to see his record broken but insisted it was not the end of the world for him.

"So I miss a cut...I don't like doing it and I try to make a little bit of fun out of it at the same time but I'm not going to make it sound like a major league disaster," he said.

"I think (Australian cricket legend) Sir Don Bradman made a duck in his last innings to not average 100."

The last time Norman missed a cut in Australia was at the 1976 Chrysler Classic at Royal Melbourne when he was playing in just his sixth tournament as a professional.

He went perilously close to missing the weekend action after shooting 82 in the second round of the Australian Open in December before scraping in by a shot.

But his luck ran out on Friday as he missed the cut by five strokes, finishing at seven-over par.

Norman's 36-hole total was a massive 19 shots behind halfway leader, Australia's Anthony Painter, who shot a five-under-par 68 to follow his 66 from the first round.

He led Germany's Bernhard Langer by two after the former two-time U.S. Masters winner fired an eight-under par 65.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell was a further three shots behind after a 72 with Australia's Peter O'Malley one more behind after a second successive 70.

"It was one of my better putting rounds for the last six to 10 months," said Langer, who followed six one-putt birdies on the front nine with a 50-foot birdie putt on the last.