Despite Missed Cut, First Time Is a Charm : Tiger Woods: The 16-year-old has a 75, but his ability to make difficult shots keeps a gallery of about 2,000 with him to the end.

Even as the sun was setting over Riviera Country Club, even when it was certain Tiger Woods would not make the cut at the Nissan Los Angeles Open, few in the gallery of about 2,000 left. Instead, they stayed to applaud the 16-year-old from Cypress as he approached the green of his final hole Friday.

As he walked up the hill to the ninth green, Woods clapped and pumped a fist in acknowledging the cheers. He then chipped his ball from about 40 feet from the fringe of the green to about six inches from the cup. When he putted out, he smiled and tossed his ball to the crowd.

“These were the best two days of my life,� said Woods, who became the youngest to play in a PGA Tour event.

“I’ve never had this much support before. After every shot the people clapped. When I hit a bad shot, they still clapped. If I two-putted, they still clapped.�

Woods, who started the day at one-over-par 72, made five bogeys and one birdie for a 75 Friday and a two-day total of 147. The cut was 141, one under par.

“It was a learning experience. I learned I wasn’t that good,� Woods said. “I learned I have a long way to go. I’m not competitive at this level. I am at the junior level, but not at the pro level. These guys are so much better.

“I didn’t think I was ready for it, and it showed me that I’m not. I just have to grow up, that’s all.�

Woods, who played with Dicky Thompson and Robert Friend, attracted the largest gallery of the tournament both days, slightly larger than that for the other crowd favorite, John Daly. At one point Friday, Daly and Woods finished holes close to each other, and there was a traffic jam involving the two gallerys.

“It was hard to concentrate. There were some distractions I’m not used to,� Woods said. “I’m not used to playing when the gallery is moving. I never had a gallery before. There were security guards, and I’ve never had that before. And people talking in your backswing from a distance, you hear all that.�

Woods missed eight fairways and only hit seven greens Friday. But the shots he made to get out of trouble will be remembered.

“I got up and down from places that people don’t get up and down from,� Woods said.

His favorite shot of the tournament was his third shot on the No. 1 hole Friday--a 501-yard, par five--when he dug his ball out of a downhill lie on the side of a ditch and hit a nine-iron about 140 yards to the edge of the green. He made a 40-foot chip to within two feet of the hole and then made the putt to save par.

On No. 6 Friday, a 170-yard, par three, he hit his tee shot into the crowd, behind a bunker and about 70 feet from the pin. His chip shot was long, and it rolled uphill across the green and stopped on the fringe. But seconds later, the ball rolled back toward the cup, leaving Woods a five-foot putt. When he made the putt to save par, he pumped a fist and smiled.

Woods usually remains calm while playing.

“Well, I never had a gallery before,� he said. “Why should I pump my fist if nobody is there?�

Don Crosby, Woods’ coach at Western High in Anaheim, followed Woods for the entire round, but couldn’t get close enough to see half of his shots. Several marshals commented that the most frequent question they heard was, “How is Tiger doing? Do you think he will make the cut?�

“I thought once Tiger made a couple of bogeys, people would start leaving, but they stayed,� Crosby said.

Woods made two bogeys and one birdie on his front nine--he started on the 10th hole--then bogeyed the second, fourth and seventh holes on his back nine. He had suffered a pulled muscle in his back during Thursday’s round but said it felt loose Friday. He plans to be ready to play Monday against Gahr High at a course in Anaheim. But there will be a slight difference in the playing conditions.

“I don’t think the greens there will be as good as they are here,� he said.