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Tiger Woods acknowledges the crowd as he leaves the 18th green during the second round of the British Open on Friday.

Watson had hip surgery only nine months ago, but there was a spring in his step even as it seemed though he would fade quickly. The wind stirred up white caps in the Irish Sea, and Turnberry turned into a fierce test. Watson bogeyed four straight holes along the coast, yet showed the patience of an eight-time major winner.

"Lady Turnberry took off her gloves today and she had some teeth," Watson said. "I knew the outgoing nine was going to be tough. But I never gave up hope, because I knew that the incoming nine was going to play a little bit easier going downwind."

Watson holed a 25-foot birdie on the ninth to get back in the mix, then delivered more magic.

First came a 75-foot birdie putt from the back of the 16th green, a scary putt with the burn guarding the front. He raised his arms and kissed the ball. He saved even more emotion for his final putt on the 18th.

Watson watched it catch the corner of the cup, kicked his right leg - "That was my Scottish jig," he said - and then offered an abbreviated bow.

"He hung tough," said Sergio Garcia, who played alongside Watson. "He showed me how much he loves this game."

Also in their group was 16-year-old Matteo Manassero of Italy, the British Amateur champion, who rolled in enough big putts of his own for a 70 that made him the second-youngest player to make the cut at the British Open. He was at 141, six shots behind.

It was quite a change from the opening round, when 50 players broke par on a tame Turnberry. In all the elements - clouds, wind, an hour of rain and sunshine - only seven players shot in the 60s on Friday.

Woods thought he might be among them, giving himself birdie chances and burning the edge of the cup early in his round. His goal was to finish under par by the end of the day, but after his first birdie on the par-5 seventh, it all went wrong.

"Everybody's entitled to a bad day," said Lee Westwood, who played with Woods and shot 70 to join the group at 2-under 138. "It was tough conditions out there, and the wind can play havoc with your swing sometimes. And he hit a couple of poor shots at the wrong time."

Woods failed to make the cut for only the sixth time in his career, and the first since the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, his first tournament after his father died.

He arrived at Turnberry having won for the third time this year, in his AT&T National at Congressional.

And he was leaving far sooner than anyone expected.