Woods, McIlroy miss cut at Abu Dhabi

Tiger Woods missed the cut at the Abu Dhabi Championship Friday after being penalized two shots for wrongly thinking he had a free drop after his ball became entangled in vines.

Woods joined top-ranked Rory McIlroy in making an early exit. McIlroy struggled with his new Nike clubs and had a second straight 75. It's the first time the world's top two players missed a cut in the same tournament since McIlroy and Luke Donald at the 2012 U.S. Open.

Woods thought he was safe in finishing his second round at 1-over 73. But he was advised by the European Tour chief referee Andy McFee of the penalty, giving him a 75 and 3-over total of 147. The cut for the top 65 plus ties is projected at 2 over.

McFee said he warned Woods on the 11th tee of the penalty, which was a result of his taking a free drop when his ball was embedded in sand. It's not allowed.

"I called Martin (Kaymer) over to verify the ball was embedded. We both agreed it was embedded and evidently it was in sand," Woods said of the infraction that happened when his drive on 5 landed in a bed of vines. "Andy ruled I broke an infraction, consequently got a two-shot penalty. Andy feels the way he feels about it and I broke the rules."

McFee said the rule was clear and that Woods never challenged him on it after the round. It came to light when a spectator alerted the European Tour to the infraction, he said.

"An embedded ball relief is through the green but in ground other than sand," McFee said. "I talked to him when he came off the 11th tee because I couldn't be sure about a two-stroke penalty until we got into the recording area. I don't know the exact spot where he was. I know the area. I would need Tiger to come out and have a look, and he was happy it was in sand."

Woods said it was frustrating to bow out of a tournament in this way, especially after he recovered from four bogeys on his first five holes - the fifth subsequently becoming a triple. He birdied five of the last 11 holes including three in a row in the back nine.

"It's tough because I didn't get off to a very good start," Woods said. "I fought and got it back. I was right there and felt it if I could post even par, I had the chance to go into the weekend only eight back. Evidently, it wasn't enough."

McIlroy finished with a 6-over 150 total. His switch to an old putter for the second round didn't help. He didn't show signs of someone who won the European and U.S. PGA money titles in 2012, putting poorly, flubbing several chips and hitting erratic drives.

McIlroy carded three bogeys on his first seven holes to all but eliminate himself from the weekend. He had a string of birdies at the turn - including a chip-in on 9 - but wasted that with a bogey on 10 and another on 14.

Hahn, Castro lead Humana Challenge

James Hahn and Roberto Castro remained atop the Humana Challenge leaderboard in California, shooting 5-under 67 in the pro-am tournament.

Hahn and Castro were 14 under after another day of perfect conditions in the Coachella Valley. They began the round tied for the lead with Jason Kokrak at 63.

Hahn had four birdies, an eagle and a bogey at La Quinta Country Club. He played a three-hole stretch in 4 under on his back nine, birdieing the par-4 fourth, holing a 30-foot eagle chip on the par-5 fifth and making another birdie on the par-5 sixth.

"Any time you have back-to-back par 5s that are reachable, it's definitely something to look forward to," Hahn said. "Especially if the round's not going well."

Castro had the lead alone at 16 under, but bogeyed two of his last three holes - three-putting the par-4 ninth - on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course.

"A couple slipped away there at the end, but yesterday I made a 50-footer on the last," Castro said. "Today, I felt like I hit a good putt and three-putted. So, that's stuff over 72 holes that's going to even out."

Hahn opened his rookie season on the tour last week in Hawaii with a tie for 67th in the Sony Open. The 31-year-old South Korean-born American played briefly at the University of California and won the Web.com Tour's Rex Hospital Open last year in a playoff.

"I'm just soaking it in, having a good time," Hahn said. "Any time that I play a good round, it feels good and makes me cherish the momentum a little bit more, because I know they're few and far between."

Castro missed the cut last week in Hawaii. The 27-year-old former Georgia Tech player is in his second season on the tour.