World Target Challenge: Padraig Harrington mounted a thrilling comeback in the Target World Challenge last night with a sensational, five-under-par 67 at sun-splashed Sherwood Country Club.

The Dubliner was bitterly disappointed to trail first-round leader Henrik Stenson by nine shots after a making a string of mental errors in an opening round of 75.

But he was a different animal on another perfect day in the picturesque Hidden Valley as he cut a swathe through the field with seven birdies and two bogeys to move up from 13th to a share of eighth place with Colin Montgomerie and David Toms on two under par.

The European number one finished the day six shots behind leader Tiger Woods, who carded an immaculate four under par 68 to lead by one from Stenson. Stenson fired a rollercoaster 71 in the race for the for the $1.35 million winner's cheque to lie just one clear of third placed Geoff Ogilvy and Chris DiMarco.

But after watching Luke Donald come from six behind in the final round to win last year, the European number one knows he can still finish the season with a victory.

"I had an awful lot of chances and I could really have gone low today," Harrington said. "Five under gets me somewhat back in there, and with the weather to be blustery tomorrow it gives me a chance going into the weekend.

"This is a treacherous golf course. You can make double or birdie on some of those par fives. If you are leading there is a lot of danger, but if you are chasing you can only see flags, birdies and eagles, and you can make some good numbers.

"I definitely could have been three or four shots better today and it was a pity about the two careless errors there at the end. I missed a few short putts and could have been a bit more committed on my routine."

The world number seven showed his intent when he rifled his approach to just 12 inches at the opening hole to get back to two over par, and while he failed to hole good birdie chances at the fourth, fifth and sixth, he soon moved up a gear.

At the ninth he drilled a mid-iron to 18 feet and drained the putt up the hill to turn in two under par 34 and start a run of three birdies on the trot and four in the space of of five holes.

Beaming as he left the green, he birdied the 10th and par-five 11th to get to four under for the day, and then picked up another birdie at the par five 13th to get within six strokes of Stenson.

A bogey at the 14th was only a hiccup, and his reply was impressive as he carried the hazard by inches with his seven-iron tee-shot at the 186-yard 15th and holed from six feet for birdie.

A drive and a four-iron put him on the 537-yard 16th in two and two putts from 40 feet put the Irishman six under for the day playing the 18th.