CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Finally, all the talk about Tiger Woods was mostly about his golf.

And it was more bad news.

In a shocking meltdown yesterday at the Quail Hollow Championship, Woods missed the cut for only the sixth time in his career with a performance that was incomparable for all the wrong reasons.

He shot a 79, his worst score on American soil as a pro and the second-highest of his career. His 36-hole score of 153 was the highest in his 14 years on the PGA Tour.

Rust? Mechanics? Distractions from a personal life in turmoil?

"It is what it is," Woods said. "Whatever it was, it wasn't good enough."

Not even close.

He missed the cut by a whopping eight shots — 17 shots behind 36-hole leader Billy Mayfair — and headed back to Florida.

Making the performance even more surprising is that Woods was coming off a tie for fourth at the Masters three weeks ago, a remarkable result considering it was his first competition since a five-month hiatus created by his crisis at home.

Woods couldn't make a putt, and he didn't make any excuses about whether his private life is affecting his golf.

"Every day I do media, I get asked it, so it doesn't go away," he said. "Even when I'm at home paparazzi still follow us, helicopters still hover around. Does it test you? Yes, of course it does. Is that any excuse? No, because I'm out there and I have the same opportunity as everybody else here in this field to shoot a good number. And I didn't do it."

Mayfair birdied his last hole for a 4-under 68 that gave him the halfway lead at 8-under 136. He led by one over two-time major champion Angel Cabrera, who had a 67 while playing the last two days with Woods.

J.P. Hayes matched the course record at Quail Hollow with a 64 and was in the group at 138 with Masters champion Phil Mickelson (68), Pebble Beach winner Dustin Johnson (65) and Paul Goydos (70).

Hawai'i's Parker McLachlin, a Punahou and UCLA alum, withdrew with a wrist injury after opening with an 88.

ELSEWHERE

Champions Tour: Bob Tway and 63-year-old Leonard Thompson shot 5-under 67s to share the first-round lead in the inaugural Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic at Saucier, Miss. Tom Purtzer, David Peoples, Brad Bryant and David Eger opened with 68s at the Fallen Oak Country Club.

European PGA: Sweden's Johan Edfors shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Spanish Open at Seville, Spain. Edfors had a 10-under 134 total at Real Club de Golf de Sevilla. England's Mark Foster (66) and Spain's Sebi Garcia (67) were tied for second.