Sources inside the 15-time major winner's camp have suggested he will play up to four matches at Royal Melbourne.

The four are believed to be the Thursday (four ball) and Friday (foursomes) sessions, as well as Saturday morning (four ball) before all players contest the Sunday singles.

The US PGA Tour, who runs the biennial teams event, tweaked the rules for this edition and reduced the minimum number of matches outside the singles from two to one.

Some feared Woods, who missed large portions of the US PGA Tour season this year with injury, would only play the mandatory two.

But given Woods has shown flashes of his brilliant best this year, winning a fifth Masters green jacket in April and the US Tour's recent Zozo Championship in Japan, it's believed Woods has a green light to play as much as he wants.

The soon-to-be 44-year-old is currently in contention at his charity's event in the Bahamas, the Hero World Challenge.

However, International team captain Ernie Els is prepared for any number of matches Woods chooses to play.

"I can't worry about what they're doing; I'm worried about what we're doing," Els said at the Australian Open.

"If he plays a lot, he plays a lot. It doesn't really change anything. It's one point per match and that's what we're focused on."

Woods and the American team will leave the Bahamas on Saturday night and arrive in Australia on Monday morning.

The tournament began a day earlier than usual to accommodate golfers travelling to Australia and the field included all but one member of the 12-player US team that will compete at Royal Melbourne.

He was asked by reporters how many matches he would play, Woods joked: "Yeah, I'm playing a minimum of two. Does that help you?

"We have game plans for next week. We've got guys that haven't played. DJ (Dustin Johnson) is coming off an injury, a surgery. We're going to take it day by day, see how guys feel. We're going to communicate with one another and work through it."

Woods equalled the US PGA Tour's winning record with his 82nd title in Japan and said the arthroscopic surgery he underwent on his knee in August had improved his mobility.

"I can drive the ball a little bit better because I can rotate," Woods said.

"I can putt the ball better because I can get down and read putts again."

Woods began the second round of the Hero six shots behind overnight leaders Patrick Reed and Gary Woodland.

His six-under-par 66 matched Reed and Jon Rahm for the day's low score and left him in a share of fifth place with Justin Thomas (69) and Rickie Fowler (69).

He's six shots behind Reed, who holds the outright lead after the second round at the Albany Golf Club.

Australian Associated Press