U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart says players may hope to miss the cut to avoid playing on the weekend.

O'Meara, who also won The Masters last year, soared to an 83.

Stewart could not help but criticize the setup of the course.

"The fairways are just too narrow. When you have par-4s that are 470 to 480 yards with fairways that are just 17 or 18 yards across, well I think it's being kind just to say it's over the top," Stewart said.

"When you have the best players in the world saying 79 is not a bad score, then you know the course is difficult. It would be difficult even if there was no wind blowing out here," he added.

Stewart said he made just two bad swings all day, "and I produced a 79. I mean 79, and I'm sitting here thinking that's not a bad score."

The hardest thing about the day was, "trying not to injure yourself out there," he said. "If you don't keep the ball in the fairway you could injure yourself in the rough."

O'Meara was more accepting of his fate because he felt he got what he deserved.

"The golf course was very hard and I played very poorly," he said. "I'm very disappointed I shot 83, but I tried on every shot and that's the best score I could shoot."

He admitted his pride was somewhat hurt.

"I mean, I'm a professional golfer," he lamented. "I'm not looking forward to shooting in the 80s, but I got the score I deserved today."

Double bogeys at the second, third and 10th and a triple bogey at the 17th did most of the damage to O'Meara.