The 31-year-old Woods is eyeing his third Open title

The world number one, targeting a third title in a row, did however call in swing mentor Hank Haney after his worst round in the event in five years.

"I know what I was feeling and hopefully we can fix it," said Woods.

"I could have easily have shot myself right out of the tournament but I kept myself right in there."

Highlights: Open Championship day two

Interview: Tiger Woods

What might be in Woods' favour is the prediction of torrential rain arriving on the Angus coast during Saturday.

Because he is only one over par compared to Garcia's six under, Woods will be teeing off much earlier and he could therefore have better conditions.

It was basically a lack of commitment on the first tee. It was such a poor shot Tiger Woods

Woods, aiming to become just the second man in 125 years to win the Open three times in a row, said: "With the (bad) weather coming in tomorrow I need to get organized because it looks like it will be a pretty tough day."

The American clattered his opening tee shot out of bounds and into the Barry Burn, carding a double-bogey six.

"It was basically a lack of commitment on the first tee. It was such a poor shot - the commitment wasn't there and I didn't back off," he said.

He birdied the second with a glorious approach, but dropped further shots on the fifth and eighth.

606: DEBATE Woods has done this before - he seems to be losing touch and then comes up with a blinder in his third round JR

It could have been far worse for Woods, who was close to the out-of-bounds fence on the long sixth, scrambled a par at the ninth off a really poor approach into sand and then, for the second day running, had incredibly good fortune on the 466-yard 10th.

In his opening 69 it came with a free drop away from a bad lie in the rough because of television cables that could not be moved, although the Royal and Ancient's Director of Rules David Rickman could not answer why.

And on his return he might easily have hit his approach into the Barry Burn, but instead his ball came down in the trees, narrowly missing two people, and with a clear path to the flag he salvaged another par.

He bagged a birdie at the par-five 14th, but was wayward again with a bogey-five at the last and headed straight for the driving range in an effort to put things right.