Tiger Woods was in a three-way share of the lead after wrestling with his game in the third round of the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath yesterday.
The 14-time major winner endured a frustrating day of two birdies and two bogeys in his par round of 72, a far cry from his dominant 10-under after the opening two rounds.
Woods (66-68-72) goes into today’s final round locked in the lead with Australians Greg Chalmers (68-69-69) and James Nitties (66-71-69) on 10-under 206.
The US world No. 1 struggled to recapture the form that left the huge Australian galleries drooling over his shot-making in his first tournament appearance in Australia since 1998.
It looked as though Woods would stretch his overnight three-stroke lead after a birdie at the second hole, but he bogeyed the next and could not get to grips with the Kingston Heath links course, made harder by windier conditions.
American playing partner Jason Dufner, who led briefly after four birdies in six holes in the outward nine, faded to joint fourth with a 69 with Australian Cameron Percy (67-72-69) on eight-under 208.
Woods birdied the second hole with a 30-footer to howls of delight from the large gallery, but he came to grief at the next with his second bogey of the tournament.
His approach chip left him on the edge of the third green and he left his putt four feet short and three-putted for bogey.
But it was a mixed outward nine holes for Woods, who missed a five-footer for birdie on the sixth as Dufner joined him in the lead after three birdies in four holes.
Dufner sunk a 25-footer for another birdie at the eighth forcing Woods to make a pressure 15-foot put for par to keep his playing partner’s lead to one stroke.
Chalmers raced to the outright lead at 11-under after four birdies in his outward nine.
■LPGA
AFP, GUADALAJARA, MEXICO
Jiyai Shin, vying to add the LPGA Player of the Year award to Rookie of the Year honors, seized the lead in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational Friday with a six-under 66.
The 21-year-old from South Korea, a three-time winner on the US tour this year, came into the event with a four-point lead over world number one Ochoa in the player of the year race.
She topped the leaderboard at 11-under 133.
Americans Michelle Wie (66) and Paula Creamer (69) were tied for second on 136. Overnight leader Song-Hee Kim of South Korea fired a 72 for 137.
It was a further two strokes back to Norway’s Suzann Pettersen (67), Brittany Lincicome (70), Cristie Kerr (70), Brittany Lang (70) and Colombia’s Maria Jose Uribe (72) on 139, while Ochoa was in a group on 140 after a 69 at Guadalajara Country Club.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng fired a 68 for 140, while compatriot Candie Kung trailed at 142 after firing a 69.
Shin can secure Player of the Year if she wins and Ochoa finishes eighth or worse.
Otherwise, the honor will be decided at the LPGA Tour Championship in Houston next week.
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