Tiger Woods Misses Cut at 2015 US Open: Latest Comments and Reaction

Tiger Woods entered the 2015 U.S. Open coming off of the worst 72-hole score of his professional career, and he only managed to play 36 holes in the season's second major at Chambers Bay.

The rust that was evident in Woods' game before unfortunately surfaced again in University Place, Washington. A first-round score of 80 preceded a six-over 76 on Friday to send Woods home after just two days with a missed cut.

Tiger's fate was essentially already sealed entering Friday's second round after he shot 10 over par Thursday. That left him 15 strokes off the lead and represented his worst round at a major. It also continued what has become a disturbing trend for Woods this year, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

Justin Ray of Golf Channel pointed out that this was a historically bad tournament for Tiger:

Following the first round, Woods blamed part of his struggles on the fact that he has taken a lot of time off over the past couple of years in order to nurse injuries and get his game back on track, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig:

"I haven't played enough," the 39-year-old veteran said. "I haven't had a rhythm to play. I didn't play much last year, and I haven't played much this year. Knee surgeries are pretty easy compared to a back surgery, the recovery time. And for some reason, it's just a lot harder dealing with a nerve than a joint."

As ESPN's Skip Bayless indicated, Tiger's fall from grace has been shocking considering how dominant he once was:

It might be time to hit the panic button on arguably the greatest golfer to ever live. Such an underwhelming outing at an event Woods has won three times is a discouraging setback.

Check out Woods' recent finishes in the U.S. Open since he won his 14th and most recent major in the 2008 event at Torrey Pines:

Year	Score	Finish
2009	E	T6
2010	+3	T4
2011	—	DNP
2012	+7	T21
2013	+13	T32
2014	—	DNP
2015	+16	MC

Before the tournament started, Woods suggested his prior experience in the event still gave him a chance to seize the trophy, per Mike O'Malley of Golf Digest:

When Woods was at his apex and unbeatable at times, he'd manage to fight through adversity even when his swing was off. No matter how poor his ball-striking was, he almost always found a way to score well, which set him apart from the rest of the field.

Now, that edge has diminished somewhat, in part because of the myriad injuries that have prevented Woods from consistently staying in competition shape. Woods is still seeking to rediscover a repeatable swing, and it's hard to be in contention when that process is still a work in progress.

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted how no one placed high expectations on Woods this weekend despite his prior major prowess:

It is hard to look forward and project any timetable for when Woods will return to be among the elite golfers in the world. He'll still attract a crowd everywhere he plays, yet it may be some time before he's in the thick of high-profile tournaments again.

The next huge test to see how far Woods has come—or has to go—is The Open Championship in the middle of July. It will serve as a truer indicator of how much success he can realistically hope to have this season, especially since it's at the Old Course at St. Andrews.

Woods captured the Claret Jug at the historic venue in 2000 and 2005, but he seems a long way away from being able to realistically contend, even at a place he's excelled over the years.