Chowrasia finished the second round with a card of even par 72 and was two-over for 36 holes and finished right on the cut line at tied 59th.

Jeev Milkha Singh, who started the second round at three over, had three birdies in the first six holes after starting from the 10th.

But bogeys on 16th and third created a bit of tension for him. A birdie on fourth eased it and he parred the rest for a 70 and is now one-over in tied 48th place.

The leader at the top was 22-year-old Thorbjorn Olesen who carded a brilliant five-under 67.

Chowrasia, also starting on the 10th, birdied the 12th and then parred the next 10 holes till he came to the fifth which he bogeyed and dropped another shot on sixth, at which point he was just below the cut line. A birdie on the ninth saved the week for him.

It was some relief for Chowrasia, who made his first cut on the European Tour since May last year at the BMW PGA Championships.

The only other times he has played all four rounds on European Tour has been at the WGC-HSBC Champions at Shanghai and last week Volvo Golf Champions, and there was no cut at either tournament.

Rory McIlroy made a mistake that cost him two penalty shots and a share of the lead resulting in the 22-year-old promising never to repeat it.

Northern Ireland's US Open Champion would have been alongside Olesen but for brushing sand away from his line on the ninth hole of his second round.

That would have been all right if it had been on the green, but he was six feet off the putting surface and World Number One Luke Donald instantly brought it to his attention.

Tiger Woods is right in the thick of things heading into the weekend. He is going for a second successive victory after more than two barren years and for a while it looked as if he might even catch World Number 171 Olesen.

Woods was tied for second after birdies at the 11th, 12th and 15th, but bogeyed the next after driving into rough. He was happy enough after his 69, though, and certainly putted better than he had in his opening 70.