Adam Scott in the mix for US PGA Players Championship

ADAM Scott was right in the mix after moving into a tie for fifth after the second round of the lucrative US PGA Players Championship.

Adam Scott

ADAM Scott was right in the mix after moving into a tie for fifth after the second round of the lucrative US PGA Players Championship.

Scott scratched out a two-under-par 70 to move to six under for the tournament, just two shots behind leaders Zach Johnson (66), Kevin Na (69) and Matt Kuchar (68), who sat on top at eight under par.

American youngster Harris English (67) moved into fourth alone at seven under par, while Scott was joined by Charlie Wi (67), Martin Laird (73), Jonathan Byrd (70) and Brian Davis (70) in the clubhouse at six under.

Scott's first-round 68 easily could have been a 64 such was his crisp ball-striking, but his second-round 70 just as easily could have been a 76.

To the Queenslander's credit, he ground out an under-par round with four birdies and two bogeys.

"I didn't hit my best shots but managed to get it around," Scott said.

"I'm playing fairly good, so my scratchy stuff was good enough today."

Starting on the back nine, Scott was lucky not to catch a tree close to the tee box, but he made the first of several impressive par saves.

On the par-five 11th, his second, Scott played a pretty flop shot from just off the green to 2.4m and then made the putt for the first of his birdies.

His first dropped shot came after an errant tee shot on the 14th hole left him buried on a severe mound.

When he couldn't coax a 3m putt in for par the card was blotted for the first time.

Scott then birdied the 16th, another par five, and started to rein in the leaders when he hit it tight on the first and rolled in another birdie putt.

The 31-year-old looked set to make a play for the lead pack when he nailed an 8m birdie bomb on the fourth and then went within a whisker of dropping it in from almost 20m on the next hole.

But a bogey on the eighth stalled his run.

His finish remained somewhat sour when, despite getting aboard the par-five ninth in two shots, he three-putted from 8.2m to settle for par.

"A bit disappointing to three-jack the last, but I'm within shouting distance of the leaders," Scott said.

Tiger Woods appeared certain to miss the cut before four straight birdies helped him to two-under par.