No home-course advantage for Jim Furyk

ARDMORE, Pa. — Jim Furyk was really looking forward to playing the U.S. Open at Merion.

Maybe too much. Again.

The West Chester, Pa., native now must look back on another disappointing showing in the Philadelphia region.

“I had four events in the Philly area, and I never really played well in any of those,” said Furyk, 43, who didn’t exactly celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his U.S. Open victory at Olympia Fields.

Furyk finished up a 77 on Friday morning and followed it in the afternoon with a 79, and he will miss the cut by a projected eight strokes. He was 14 over in 24 holes on Day 2.

He failed to contend in any of his previous starts in southeastern Pennsylvania — two each in the AT&T; National and SEI Pennsylvania Classic.

Furyk said he did nothing right in two days at Merion.

“I thought myself around the golf course poorly,” he said. “I putted poorly. I drove the ball poorly. I just [did] things you can’t do at a U.S. Open.”

Eye in the sky

Viewers contacted the U.S. Golf Assn. with questions about whether Steve Stricker and Adam Scott had violated rules during the first round Thursday. Turns out neither did.

Stricker, some suggested, trampled the grass to improve his lie after taking a one-shot unplayable-lie penalty. Actually Stricker walked on the thick grass to get a better look at the pin position.

The USGA also reviewed whether Scott had grounded his club in a hazard.

Asked how he feels about TV viewers being able to phone in potential rules violations, Scott replied: “I don’t think it’s the best thing. Probably the rules officials should just watch the coverage and then you don’t have any issues.”

Furyk said if viewers are to call in with questions, they should be investigated before a player’s round is complete so he can sign a correct scorecard. That did not happen at the Masters with Tiger Woods and his illegal drop.

“No one wants to win a golf tournament by an alternate set of rules,” Furyk said. “In every other sport I played, you were taught how to cheat, how to get away with things. In this sport, you cheat once and you get labeled. It sticks with you forever, and you’re an outcast.”

To the point

During a stretch of his post-round news conference, Woods did not mince words.

Q: Do you like your chances?

A: “Yes.”

Q: The USGA said on Wednesday that the U.S. Open is not about the winning score. Do you buy that?

A: “No.”

Observing this, ESPN’s Rick Reilly joked that Woods had turned into Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich.

thousenick@tribune.com