Tiger Woods takes route 66 to soar into contention

Tiger Woods celebrated a lengthy birdie putt on his penultimate hole with one of his trademark fist pumps on the way to his lowest round of the year with regard to par at the Quicken Loans National in Virginia on Friday.

Woods, who has mainly struggled on the PGA Tour this season while working through his latest swing change as he recovers from back surgery, fired a sparkling five-under 66 in the second round at Robert Trent Jones GC in Gainesville.

It matched his best score of the year, a four-under 66 in the opening round of the Greenbrier Classic earlier this month, but was the lowest to par of his 2015 campaign.

Woods, the tournament host, birdied six of his last 13 holes to rocket into contention with an eight-under total of 134, his final birdie of the day coming at the par-five eighth where he drained a 35-footer before celebrating in style.

Woods had missed consecutive cuts in major championships for the first time in his career in the US Open and Open Championship.

Sweden's David Lingmerth was the clubhouse leader on nine under, with a host of other players still on the course.

Scotland's Russell Knox was on six under after a 67, while defending champion Justin Rose slipped down the leaderboard as a level-par round of 71 left him on five under.