Top-ranked duo Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy both saw their US Open bids come undone at Merion on Saturday.

Woods carded a disappointing six-over 76 and McIlroy didn't fare much better with his 75, leaving themselves on nine over par and eight over par respectively, all but out of the hunt.

Woods, desperate for a first major win in five years, struggled to hide his frustration as he slumped to three bogeys in four holes from the third to all but end his challenge.

"It is certainly frustrating because I certainly was feeling like I was playing well this week and I just didn't make the putts I needed to make," said Woods, whose 76 was his highest US Open round as a professional.

"On the first two days I had like three three-putts and I was four shots off the lead, and I missed a boatload of putts within 10 feet.

"So I really wasn't that far off. If I clean up the round and don't three-putt, I'm one shot back starting out today.

"At Augusta I was pretty close and I had the lead at one point and I hit that flag (on the 15th in the second round) and ended up in the water.

"I'm playing well enough to do it and unfortunately just haven't gotten it done." 76 was his highest US Open round as a professional.

McIlroy had a similarly poor start that all but ended his hopes, a run of four birdies in five holes that was stopped only briefly with a birdie at the seventh.

He could not get his game back together and dropped further shots at nine, 11 and 15 as he returned a 75 to slip to eight over - nine shots behind leader Phil Mickelson.

"If you're not on your game a hundred percent, you get on the wrong side of the greens and it's just frightening because I didn't feel like I played too badly," McIlroy said.

"I missed a few shots here and there and I was trying on every shot out there and I was trying to get myself back into it, but it's tough.

"If you're just not a hundred percent on top of your game, it's going to expose some of your flaws or weaknesses.

"I've been working on the swing quite hard over the last few months, and it looks really good on camera. I just get on the course and I hit a couple of bad shots and I guess that it sort of makes you lose confidence a little bit during the round.

"It's just a bit of a struggle and it seems like I've had a few too many tournaments this year where I've struggled in one round or a couple of rounds and not been able to put it all together.

"I don't feel like it's too far away at all. It's just a matter of believing and staying patient and working hard and knowing that if you work on the right thing, you're going to turn it around."

Golf 365