Tiger Woods’ roller-coaster return continued Saturday at the Hero World Challenge.
Woods opened his third round with back-to-back bogeys, caught fire on the rest of Albany’s front nine and then cooled off on the back side to shoot 1-under 71. The 15-time major winner and tournament host will enter Sunday’s final round at even par.
On each of his opening two holes, the par-4 first and par-3 second, Woods yanked iron shots left of the green and failed to get up and down. However, he hit the green in two at the par-5 third and two-putted from 50 feet for his first birdie of the day – and what would be his first of four birdies in his next seven holes.
Woods needed just two shots to find the green at the par-5 sixth, too, and following a birdie there, he flagged his tee ball to 4 feet at the par-3 eighth to set up a birdie.
Tiger going right at it 🎯 pic.twitter.com/4O5rPZzpkv
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 2, 2023
He also birdied the par-5 ninth after getting up and down from a left greenside bunker.
The tracer 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xDAPRQZS65
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 2, 2023
Tiger magic. pic.twitter.com/fZYE0Ci0hu
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) December 2, 2023
Following a bogey at No. 11, Woods drove it close to the green at the 299-yard, par-4 14th hole and then splashed out of the sand to 5 feet and made the putt for his only birdie of the back nine.
He flew the final green with his approach before missing a 7-footer for par and making bogey to cap the 1-under 71.