Former world No1 Tiger Woods looked set to keep a proud record alive after a battling second round in the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass yesterday.

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Two-time winner Woods has never missed the cut in 16 previous appearances in the tournament, although he has withdrawn twice through injury, but looked in danger of an early exit with one hole to play.

However, the 39-year-old birdied the par-five ninth, his final hole, to card a round of 71 and get back to level par, one shot inside the current predicted cut mark.

At the time of going to the press, world No1 Rory McIlroy was on five-under par total after 14 holes, while world No2 Jordan Spieth, his playing partner, was in danger of missing weekend play at two-over par. McIlroy was two-under-par for the day.

Woods endured another rollercoaster round with five bogeys and six birdies. A birdie on the par-five 11th, his second hole, was followed by bogeys on the 12th and 13th before birdies on the 15th and 17th took Woods to the turn in 35.

On the back nine, he bogeyed the first and fourth holes but bounced right back with birdies on the next holes on both occasions, before making up for another dropped shot on the seventh with his birdie on the ninth – the birdie putt effort from nine feet drawing a fist pump from Woods.

Asked about his reaction to the birdie on the ninth, Woods said: “It was probably to make the cut on the number.

I figured it was probably not going to go to one-over. We knew that playing the last couple of holes I needed to make birdie on one of the last two holes and I did.

“I haven’t gotten a lot out of my rounds. Each round I should have been probably a few under par. I just need to start capitalising on my opportunities.”

At level-par, Woods was eight shots behind pacesetter Kevin Na, who added a 69 to his opening 67, with South African Branden Grace and Canada’s David Hearn also safely in the clubhouse on six-under.

“As of right now, if it stays the way it’s at, literally anybody who makes the cut can win the golf tournament,” Woods added.

“I don’t know what the lead is going to be at the end of the day, but right now there are over 70 guys within seven shots of each other. That’s unheard of.”