Woods has already had one knee operation and look at Ernie Els - his knee injury could have been career threatening.
He followed his opening 62 -- one shy of compatriot Ernie Els' superb course record -- with a two-under 70 in tougher conditions on the second day on the Majilis Course at the Emirates Golf Club.
Many pundits are also tipping Sweden's Henrik Stenson, the world number eight, South Africa's two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen and compatriot Ernie Els, both twice Masters runners-up, as lively challengers.
In the same half of the draw, Rose plays Hunter Mahan, while at the bottom of the draw Padraig Harrington meets Anders Hansen and Montgomerie faces six-time winner Ernie Els.
Former world No. 1 Luke Donald was tied for seventh on 66, while fellow 2012 Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Lee Westwood, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker were on 68 in a group also including British Open champion Ernie Els, runner-up Adam Scott and Louis Oosthuizen -- who was second at the Deutsche Bank event.
Also on 12 under was South African three-time major winner Ernie Els, who led the field on 14 under with just three holes to play.
Veteran Ernie Els broke that first-time trend at Royal Lytham last month when he denied Adam Scott his maiden major -- the South African claimed his first since 2002 and fourth overall.
The 51-year-old Australian will join the likes of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Colin Montgomerie in the field at the Emirates Golf Club from 1-4 February.
The Surrey course has been extensively remodelled according to recommendations made by three-time major winner and local resident Ernie Els.
Woods' much vaunted head-to-head clash with world number two Ernie Els was a massive disappointment, with the South African finishing 19 shots behind the winner.
Australia helped the International side's cause -- antipodean Adam Scott and South Africa's Ernie Els earned a point with a two and one victory over Hunter Mahan and Sean O'Hair then Robert Allenby combined with Fiji's Vijay Singh to defeat the champion pairing of Lucas Glover and Stewart Cink (US and British Open champions respectively).
Phil Mickelson went into the clubhouse on six-under 136, two ahead of British Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa.
Australia's Adam Scott -- a man who knows all about dropping four shots at the end of a round -- also opened with a 68, while Open champion Ernie Els compiled a steady par round of 72.
The American birdied at 18 despite twice finding the rough to edge out South African veteran Ernie Els, who charged into the clubhouse lead with a course-record-equaling nine-under-par 63 even though he bogeyed his final hole.
On Tour, yes, a few pros currently hanging onto their cards by their chest-anchored fingernails may eventually drop out of sight, but the game's big anchor-putting stars Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els and Scott will almost certainly continue to shine.
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World number three Ernie Els, Henrik Stenson, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and ninth-ranked Vijay Singh are also among the strong field.
Scotland's Montgomerie, runner-up to Ogilvy last year, lost out to South African Ernie Els the last time the US Open was held at Oakmont in 1994.
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He was bracketed at nine-under with, among others, Luke Donald (72), Ernie Els (70), Padraig Harrington (71) and Justin Rose (68).
Oosthuizen, a former farmboy with a gap-tooth smile, learned his trade at the academy run by South African star Ernie Els, winning his first title at the Andalucia Open on the European Tour this season.
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Rotella counsels amateurs--he helped Gary Burkhead, the 66-year-old retired chief executive of FMR, work his handicap down from the 20s to 4--but works mainly with 100 or so golf professionals, including Tom Kite, Ernie Els and Davis Love III.
But Englishman Poulter is also seven-under after three holes having picked up two early birdies, while Taiwan's Chan Yih-Shin is on the same score after seven holes while South Africa's Ernie Els is a shot further back after three.
South African Ernie Els, looking to and become the first player to win the tournament twice, carded a three-under-par 69.
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