Golf

Woods runs out of gas and falls down leaderboard

Woods blown off course on his comeback in the Bahamas

Tiger Woods of the United States plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Hero World Challenge. Photograph: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Sat Dec 2 2017 - 22:40

Tiger Woods’ surprise challenge at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas fell away as he recorded a three-over-par 75 in his third round on Saturday.

Woods had exceeded expectations on his latest comeback from injury, following a solid opening round with a spectacular second in which an eagle on the ninth helped him briefly hold the outright lead.

But Woods' disappointing third round hauled him back to a four-under-par total of 212, 10 strokes behind the outright leader, American Charlie Hoffman.

Woods has started just three events since August 2015 and withdrew from his most recent tournament in February in Dubai after an opening 77.

READ MORE

It could have been even worse for the 14-time major winner. He bogeyed the par-four first, then did the same on the third, a par five. He made a hash of the par-five sixth too, dropping another shot, and then also took a bogey on the seventh and 10th.

Birdies on the 14th and 17th clawed things back.

England's Justin Rose is taking the fight to Hoffman, sitting second after a one-under 71 and nine under, with Jordan Spieth alongside him.

Francesco Molinari is eight under, with American trio Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar on seven under along with Hideki Matsuyama and England's Tommy Fleetwood.

Collated scores

202 Charley Hoffman 69 63 70

207 Justin Rose (Eng) 68 68 71, Jordan Spieth 68 67 72

208 Francesco Molinari (Ita) 69 68 71

209 Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn) 71 66 72, Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) 66 69 74, Matt Kuchar 67 70 72, Rickie Fowler 67 70 72, Patrick Reed 72 66 71

212 Tiger Woods 69 68 75, Kevin Chappell 68 70 74

213 Justin Thomas 69 70 74

216 Dustin Johnson 68 72 76, Alex Noren (Swe) 73 69 74

217 Kevin Kisner 70 72 75

218 Daniel Berger 75 73 70, Henrik Stenson (Swe) 70 71 77

221 Brooks Koepka 71 78 72

LATEST STORIES