Phil Mickelson among stars missing cut at Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The 2007 Players Championship seems like a long time ago for Phil Mickelson.

Since he won for the only time at TPC Sawgrass, Mickelson has finished in the top 20 once, a tie for 17th place in 2010. But the Hall of Famer had not missed the cut here since 2000 - until Friday.

Mickelson bogeyed two of his final three holes to miss the even-par cutline by a shot, finishing the two days at 1-over par with a 145 total.

Mickelson hit his 141-yard approach shot out of the rough on the par-4 seventh just 87 yards and made bogey to fall to even par. Following a par on the par-3 8th hole, the 41-time Tour winner hit his tee shot into the water on the par-5 ninth hole on his way to another bogey.

Mickelson quickly left the scoring area without speaking to media but did sign autographs for 20 minutes and received loud applause from fans as he walked away.

Mickelson was not the only top-20 player going home early this week.

World No. 4 Justin Rose (2-over), No. 8 Graeme McDowell (2-over), No. 13 Ian Poulter (2-over) and No. 14 Keegan Bradley (3-over) also missed the cut.

Rose had finished in the top 25 in six events on Tour but missed the cut at TPC Sawgrass for the fifth time in nine years. He shot a 2-over 74 to miss the cut by two shots.

McDowell won the RBC Heritage on April 21 at Hilton Head Island, S.C., on a Pete Dye-designed golf course. But McDowell did not have similar luck Friday on another Dye layout, shooting a 4-over 76. He made just one birdie.

Coming off an opening 75, Poulter bogeyed his third hole of the day and never threatened the make the weekend.

Bradley sat at even par when he arrived at the par-3 17th hole but hit his tee shot into the water surrounding the island green and made bogey. He then made double-bogey on the 18th to shoot 77 and finish the week 3-over.

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