Tiger Woods looked to have turned a corner in the second round of the Hero World Challenge at the Isleworth Golf & Country Club in Florida, but a double bogey at the last will rankle with the tournament host, who eventually signed for a 70.

Compared to a first round of 77, it was major progress, and all the more impressive given the fact he shook off the effects of a fever to do it, but he remained at the foot of the 18-man leaderboard on three over, despite playing the front nine in even par and registering an eagle at 13 and birdies at 14 and 17.

It was all a long way off the lead being disputed by Jordan Spieth and Henrik Stenson, with the latter in the clubhouse on nine under after a 68 and the former leading on 11 under through 17 holes before poor light led to play being suspended.

The early clubhouse target was set by Woods's playing partner Patrick Reed, who also endured a poor opening round (73), but bounced back with a nine-under-par 63, that even had room for a bogey at 12.

Justin Rose was almost as impressive when following up his 72 with a 64, holing no less than 11 birdies to sit alongside Reed on eight under, one ahead of Bubba Watson and Jimmy Walker.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, however, stalled on day two, mixing two birdies with two bogeys through 17, before settling for a bogey at the last - and a round of 73 for three under - with a brilliant third shot from a fairway bunker and a two putt in extremely poor light.

Indeed, the situation was farcical towards the end, with nobody willing to accept defeat until Steve Stricker and then Spieth decided they’d had enough scrambling around in the dark for their putting lines.

By that time the situation had cost Zach Johnson dearly, the American having double-bogeyed the 17th and then miscued a pitch and run on to the 18th green in the dark before Spieth suggested they retire to come back out in the morning and finish off.