Woods trails leader McGinley by six

Tiger Woods missed a five-foot putt to save par at his final hole and had to settle for a three-under-par 69 in the Dubai Desert Classic second round on Friday.

The world number one had vaulted into contention with four birdies in the first 12 holes but was unable to gain further ground before ending up six shots behind leader Paul McGinley of Ireland.

Woods, having completed an opening 70 in the morning after the scheduled start was put back for the second day running because of thick fog, finished at five-under 139.

That left him six adrift of McGinley, who set the pace by mixing nine birdies with two bogeys in a seven-under-par 65.

Twice major winner Mark O'Meara was a further stroke back at 10-under 134 after scorching round the par-72 layout in a nine-birdie 64.

However, first-round leader Bradley Dredge of Britain, who opened with an eight-under-par 64, and world number three Ernie Els were among 77 players unable to finish their second rounds.

Dredge was at eight under and level for the day with nine holes remaining while South African Els, chasing his third title in Dubai, was at three under with seven to play.

Woods, who won his first title of the year at the WGC-World Match Play Championship in California on Sunday, said he had not played particularly well as a glorious day of sunshine burned off the early mist at the Emirates Golf Club.

"I basically just grinded round the golf course but I ended up with a decent number to keep myself in the tournament," the 28-year-old American told reporters.

"I didn't really do anything great, just kept myself out of trouble until the last hole, where I three-putted from 40 feet.

"If I can play the way I did yesterday and make a few more putts, I should be all right."

McGinley, who holed the winning putt for Europe at the 2002 Ryder Cup, produced 14 birdies in 24 holes on the day.

"I hit a lot of good iron shots with most of them finishing just a foot or two from the pin," said the Irishman.

"It was the quality of my birdies which really pleased me. It's been a great day and I really enjoyed playing with Mark -- we certainly fed off each other out there."

Having also teed off at the 10th, McGinley mixed six birdies with a solitary bogey to reach the turn in five-under 32.

Although he slipped with another bogey at the par-four first, he hit back with further birdies on three, five and six to move one clear of the chasing pack.

O'Meara, who played with McGinley for the first two rounds, was delighted with his 64 after struggling with back trouble in recent weeks.

"I missed the cut in Los Angeles two weeks ago and I couldn't turn through the ball," said the 1998 U.S. Masters and British Open champion.

"Today, when I got out there, unfortunately my tee shot on 10 kind of jammed my back a little bit and I thought: 'there we go'. But I think the turnaround was really on 16 where I was just short of the green and pitched in for birdie.

"That got my round going. I hit a couple of great recovery shots -- and 23 putts (overall) that helps."

Woods, who finished second behind Denmark's Thomas Bjorn at the 2002 Dubai Desert Classic, teed off at the 10th and picked up shots at the first two par-fives.

He then birdied the par-four 17th, after nearly driving the green, to get to five under before wasting a chance to pick up another shot at the par-five last where he pulled his drive into the left rough.

A further birdie followed at the par-five third before he recorded the only blemish of his round at the 463-yard ninth.

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