Woods continues to climb

Tiger Woods’ climb through the field continued at the US PGA championship today – but whether it was anything like enough to get him back into contention remained to be seen.

Woods, 113th after an opening 75 and 62nd when he added a 69, was up to joint 30th when he covered the first 14 holes of Baltusrol in three under par.

But at two over he was still 10 strokes adrift of Phil Mickelson, who led overnight by three from fellow American Jerry Kelly and by four from Lee Westwood, Davis Love and Rory Sabbatini.

Masters and Open champion Woods, who needed a closing birdie to make the cut, said he needed two “great” rounds to have any chance of getting back into the hunt for the final major of the season.

But great would not be a description of how he played the first of his 36 remaining holes.

Woods, who came to New Jersey to try to become the first player in golf history to win three majors in a season twice, blocked his drive under a tree.

His second was punched under the branches, but found a greenside bunker. He came out moderately to 10 feet and missed the putt.

Woods then had to save par on the second after missing that fairway as well and although he gave himself a birdie chance on the 503-yard par four third with two arrow-like shots the putt was a tough one and he did not read enough break on it.

But on a day of scorching heat and high humidity – thunderstorms were a possibility later on – Woods then birdied the fifth, ninth, 10th and 14th to make his move.

Luke Donald, disappointed to drop back from one under to two over yesterday, got going in the right direction again when he opened with a birdie.

But Ian Poulter, also round in 69 on Thursday and able to add only a 74 to that, double-bogeyed the third and needed a birdie two holes later to stand four over.

And Paul Casey, who like Woods birdied his last hole to survive to the weekend, bogeyed the second, seventh and eighth and stood seven over.

Woods, knowing it might now be the first of his two great rounds, hit a drive of over 330 yards down the 15th and pitched to five feet.

The putt was drained and his fifth birdie of the day lifted him to level par and into a tie for 23rd spot.

With two par fives to come he also had the chance to match his best-ever round in a major – the third round 64 in the 1997 Open at Troon, which also came after he only just made the cut.