Tiger Woods is disappointed not to be in contention at the Wells Fargo Championship, despite a much-improved third-round performance after narrowly making the cut.

Woods, playing this PGA Tour event for the first time since 2012, was hampered by bogies at the start of the week and finished Friday at two over - one shot clear of the cut.

But the 42-year-old looked more at home as the weekend began, posting a three-under 68 to move into red numbers, although he remained frustrated to not be involved in a challenge on Sunday.

"It'll be stacked going into tomorrow [Sunday]," he said. "I just wish I was part of that stack.

"My ball-striking has been fine, I just haven't made anything. If I had made a few more putts or just been putting normal, I would have been up there next to the lead.

"I'm close. I'm hitting the ball well enough to contend, to win this golf tournament, but I just haven't made putts."

Rory McIlroy also scraped to two over after the first two rounds before kicking on, the Northern Irishman swinging from Friday's five-over 76 to a five-under 66.

But he, like Woods, expects better of himself, although he still retains hope heading into Sunday.

"I didn't play that well," McIlroy said. "The score sort of flatters me a little bit, even with the bogey at the last.

"The course was easier - maybe not quite 10 shots easier, but it was a few shots easier. I was still just hanging in there, just trying to get it around."