American golfer Tiger Woods fought back from a poor start in the second round at the Augusta Masters on Friday, earning a mini victory of sorts by making the halfway cut at his first tournament since a career-threatening car crash.

Swing changes were forced upon Woods after severe leg injuries he suffered in a car crash on February 23, 2021.

At the age of 46, Woods, who is a 15-time major winner and five-time champion, made the cut after shooting a two-over par 74 and sharing 19th on one-over 145 after 36 holes behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

"I'm proud of the fact that my whole team got me into this position," Woods said. "We worked hard to get me here to where I had an opportunity and then not to have any setbacks this week."

Woods is set to play 99 holes over eight days at Augusta National, the biggest golf stress load on his body in such a span in years, he said.

Woods said he has altered his swing motion due to the repairs made upon his body after the accident.

"The ankle is not going to move," Woods said. "I got rods and plates and pins and screws and a bunch of different things in there. It's never going to move like it used to. The more important thing is the ankle is always going to be an issue, but more importantly, if I play golf ballistically, it's going to be the back."

Golfers were hugely affected by the windy conditions at the tournament, with wind swirling through the area at greater speeds.

"The weather was fluctuating today, the wind directions and everything was very confusing when I was trying to decide on hitting shots," Im Sung-jae of South Korea, who in 2020 became the first Asian player to finish runner-up at the Masters, said through an interpreter.

(With input from agencies)