Woods remains a threat at Sawgrass

Players Championship: Tiger Woods moved into contention with a three-under-par 69 in the Players Championship second round, despite growing concern over his father's failing health.

The world number one, who had considered pulling out of the tournament earlier in the week, birdied four of his first seven holes before finishing at three-under 141.

Woods was in danger of bogeying his final hole, the par-five ninth, after finding water off the tee but chipped in from 30 feet from behind the green for a par five.

That left him five strokes behind leader Jim Furyk, who returned a 71 in the more blustery conditions of the afternoon. Furyk leads by one on eight under from Australia's Adam Scott (67) and Trinidad's Stephen Ames (66).

"I felt like I hit the ball better than the score indicates because I missed a couple of short putts," Woods told reporters. "I had a three-putt on 17 and then missed two short ones on seven and eight for birdie. I just felt I left a couple of shots out there.

"But the conditions are getting tough. The wind is swirling in the trees, the rough is up and the greens are drying out. Three under par is right there, it's right in the ball-game."

Woods stayed at three under by parring the last eight holes in a week when golf is a low priority for him. "There's a chance I might not play for a while," he told reporters on Thursday. "I mean, who knows. It all depends on how my father is doing."

Asked whether he would consider missing next month's U.S. Masters, where he will be hunting a fifth green jacket as defending champion, Woods replied: "You never know."

Woods' playing partner Darren Clarke was the only Irishman to make the cut after a second round 70 left the Ulsterman on one under. Clarke was left frustrated, yet again, by his inability to hole putts but at one one under still remains in contention.

Padraig Harrington shot a second consecutive 73 to miss the cut by two shots while Paul McGinley, feeling fatigued from a hayfever remedy, also shot 73 to finish six over.

The biggest surprise of the day came from joint overnight leader Davis Love III, who capitulated with a second round 83, 18 shots worse than his opening round to miss the cut by four shots.