GOLF USPGA TOUR NEWS:A FIRED-UP Tiger Woods roared into contention with a second round nine-under 63 at the Buick Open at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Michigan yesterday, burying any thoughts he might miss consecutive cuts for the first time in his professional career.

Back in action for the first time since the British Open where he failed to make the cut in a major championship for only the second time as a professional, Woods arrived at Warwick Hills in the morning facing the possibility of another weekend off.

After labouring to an opening round 71 on one of his all-time favourite layouts, Woods languished tied in 95th place, three shots behind the projected cut off of four-under and eight behind overnight leader Steve Lowery.

But the world number one responded in spectacular style, going six-under on his opening five holes on way to his lowest round of the season to rocket up the leaderboard.

Michael Letzig seized the second round clubhouse lead after returning a seven-under 65 but all eyes were on Woods, who is lurking just two shots back on midway total of 10-under 134.

“It’s a process, I can’t get it all back in one round, I positioned myself so far back yesterday it wasn’t going to happen,” Woods said.

“But if I birdied the holes you’re suppose to birdie and a couple of others here and there you’re going to come up with a round in the mid-60s and I thought that would get me in touch with the leaders.

“I was so far back yesterday I was just trying to make sure I put a dent into that everyday. At least Im back in the tournament.”

It was Woods’ 33rd consecutive under-par round at Warwick Hills but not his lowest at the tree-lined layout. He achieved that in 2005 when the 14-times major winner also fumbled to a 71 then hit back with a course record 61.

Playing the back nine first, Woods took advantage of ideal conditions, opening with back-to-back birdies then chipped in for eagle on the par four 12th.

The 33-year-old American then dropped rapid-fire birdies at the 13th and 14th before his first par of the day on the 15th, which was followed by another birdie at 16.

But Woods had not completely worked the kinks out of a wonky putter that he blamed for his disappointing first round.

Cruising along at seven-under through seven, Woods missed a three-footer for birdie on 17 then three-putted the 18th for his only bogey of the round.

After a birdie at the first, Woods’s charge stalled with five consecutive pars but finished with another flurry, nailing back-to-back birdies at seven and eight.

He said he had foregone a routine post-round trip to the practice range on Thursday because he had been disappointed with his opening 71. “I was a little bit hot yesterday, so I decided to just go home and get away from it for a little bit,” he said.

“And came out today with a better understanding of what I was going to do and just hit the ball.

“It was nice to birdie the first couple. This course is playing soft and easy, you should birdie every hole but you can also make a few mistakes like I did yesterday. If I had shot that number again today, I’m out of here.”

Letzig took the clubhouse lead at 12 under following a 65. Vaughn Taylor’s 68 moved him to 11 under with Kevin Stadler shooting a 67 and Roland Thatcher a 64 to get them to 10 under alongside Woods.

Lowery, whose opening 63 had given him the overnight lead, birdied his opening hole and he was 10 under after five holes of his second round.

Australian John Senden was the leading international player, one under for his round after three holes, nine under for the tournament alongside four Americans in the clubhouse, Mark Brooks, Tory Matteson, Leif Olsen and Charles Warren, who shot a 65.

England’s Greg Owen shot a 69 to move to seven under at the halfway stage and was the leading European by some distance as Martin Laird of Scotland and Swedish duo Daniel Chopra and Fredrik Jacobson all found themselves the wrong side of the projected cut line at three under par.

Former British Open and USPGA champion John Daly shot a second-round 88 that had begun with birdies at the 10th and 13th holes before unravelling with two bogeys, two double bogeys, a triple, a quadruple and quintuple-bogey 10 at the par-five first.