Woods misses cut at US PGA Championship as Rory McIlroy leads

WASHINGTON. KAZINFORM - The troubled year of Tiger Woods continued with only his fourth missed cut at a major as a professional, after the 38-year-old's second successive 74 at the US PGA Championship left him with an aggregate of six over par.

Woods, who has been battling a back injury, looked low on fitness and confidence on Friday. Serious questions remain over his ability to perform at the Ryder Cup in September. In 36 Valhalla holes Woods recorded only three birdies and he admitted afterwards that his back had troubled him again, The Guardian reported. "I'm sore," Woods said. "I realised on the range that this wasn't a good idea but I am stubborn. "It was tough. It was a long day. I tried as hard as I could, I gave it all I have got but unfortunately I didn't play very well. A pair of 74s is not very good." At the business end of proceedings Rory McIlroy is the man to catch at nine under after adding a 67 to his 66 on Thursday. The Northern Irishman is seeking back-to-back major titles. McIlroy said: "If I'm two ahead going into the weekend here, I'm going to try to get three ahead; and, if I'm three ahead, I'm going to try to get four ahead; and if I'm four ahead, I'm going to try to get five ahead." In fact he is one ahead, with Australia's Jason Day and the American Jim Furyk on eight under. England's Lee Westwood slipped to five under. "I'm just going to try to keep the pedal down and get as many ahead as possible," McIlroy went on. "That is my mind-set whenever I'm leading a tournament. "I went into protection mode once in my career and it was the 2011 Masters. That didn't work out very well. So I said to myself, ‘I'll never do that again.'" McIlroy has credited a renewed golfing focus with his stunning form of late. "Golf is the No1 priority and while I'm on this run of form, I want to keep it going. I'm going to keep working hard and keep practising and try and get even better."