Scottie Scheffler proves top ranking as Tiger Woods fights back in Masters

World number one Scottie Scheffler emphatically underlined his newly acquired status as Tiger Woods fought back from a nightmare start to make the halfway cut in the 86th Masters.

Arriving at Augusta National on top of the rankings after three wins in his last five starts, Scheffler simply carried on where he left off with a superb second round of 67 despite a blustery wind making scoring difficult.

That gave the 25-year-old American a halfway total of eight under par and a record-equalling five-shot lead over defending champion Hideki Matsuyama, 2011 winner Charl Schwartzel, Ireland’s Shane Lowry and first-round leader Sungjae Im.

Four of the five previous players to hold such a halfway lead in tournament history went on to claim the green jacket, with Jordan Spieth the most recent to do so in 2015.

Lowry recovered from a bogey on the first to return a second round of 68, the former Open champion boosted by chipping in from 38 yards for an unlikely birdie on the 10th.

“I’m in a great position,” Lowry said. “You’re going to need everything to go your way to be standing there getting a green jacket on Sunday.

“I’m where I want to be. I’m where I need to be. It’s going to be hard, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Woods had carded an opening 71 on his latest remarkable return from injury, the 15-time major winner having suffered serious leg injuries in a car crash in February last year.

But the 46-year-old got off to a nightmare start on Friday as he bogeyed four of his first five holes before seemingly steadying the ship with a birdie on the eighth.

A stunning approach to the 10th set up another birdie and although it was followed by dropped shots on the 11th and 12th, birdies on the 13th and 14th saw Woods sign for a 74 to