Tiger posts 71 in third round at The Greenbrier Classic

Saturday is moving day on the PGA TOUR, and Tiger Woods had his chances to climb back into contention at The Greenbrier Classic at The Old White TPC at Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. But a bad break and balky putter conspired against him during his mostly overcast and rainy round as America celebrated Independence Day.

Competing in the event for only the second time, Woods began the third round at 5-under and was tied for 26th, four strokes off the lead. But after a solid start, he dropped two shots on the back-nine and finished with a 1-over 71 that left him tied for 47th, seven shots back of four co-leaders at 11-under par.

It was a frustrating round for the 14-time major champion, who did not get the most out of his ball-striking. A poor drive bounced out of bounds and led to a double bogey, and Tiger lipped out a half-dozen shots.

“I gave myself plenty of looks early to get something going,” he said afterward. “I could have been 3-, 4-, 5-under on the front nine and got nothing out of it.”

The good news is Tiger looks much more comfortable with his swing, is hitting many quality shots and giving himself good scoring chances.

Paired with Morgan Hoffmann, Woods just missed a 10-and-a-half-foot birdie putt on the par-4 first hole. But Tiger quickly moved into red figures by making birdie at the 488-yard, par-4 second hole for the third day in a row. Following a good drive, he knocked a wedge from 118 yards five-and-half feet below the pin and rolled in the birdie putt.

Much like Friday’s front-nine, Woods followed with a series of lengthy two-putts and near-misses, making pars at the third, fourth, fifth and sixth holes. At the 430-yard, par-4 seventh, Tiger hit a mediocre approach shot from 142 yards pin-high, 34 feet left of the hole. But he poured the putt in, raising his putter with his right hand as the ball disappeared.

However, he was unable to maintain the momentum. At the 201-yard, par-3 eighth, Woods missed the green to the left with his tee shot, chipped about seven feet short of the hole and two-putted for a bogey. He finished off the front side at the par-4 ninth by hitting a nice approach shot 13 feet from the cup but was unable to convert and made the turn in 1-under 33.

With rain starting to fall, Tiger hit a good drive at the 385-yard, par-4 10th and was left with 140 yards to the pin. He made a smooth swing with his second shot, the ball stopping seven-and-a-half from the hole and swished the birdie putt.

At the 457-yard, par-4 11th, Woods blocked a driver to the right and caught a lousy break when the ball landed on a cart path and kicked out of bounds by three inches. Unaware that his ball was out, Tiger walked back to the tee to hit his third shot and wound up missing a 10-foot bogey putt.

Looking for a quick bounce-back, Woods gave himself a good chance at the par-5 12th but was unable to convert a 12-foot birdie attempt. At the par-4 13th, Tiger hit his second shot 25 feet above the hole and ran his birdie try three feet past the cup. He lipped out coming back for a frustrating three-putt bogey.

At the par-4 14th, Woods again put himself in great birdie position, hoisting his second shot 11 feet from the pin but burned the right edge. He hit another quality tee shot at the 203-yard, par-3 15th, finishing 16 feet right of the flagstick but couldn’t capitalize.

Tiger flirted with a water hazard off the right side of the fairway with his drive at the 436-yard, par-4 16th but stayed dry. From there, he hit a beautiful shot over the trees from 93 yards that stopped six feet above the hole, but once again he lipped out his birdie bid.

The 616-yard, par-5 17th has given Woods fits all week, and Saturday was no exception. After driving it into the water hazard on the right the first two rounds, he pulled his tee shot way left and hit a tree, the ball dropping into the rough. Tiger slashed it back into play, came up short of the green with a fairway wood, hit his fourth shot about 10 feet past the hole and two-putted for a bogey.

Looking to finish strong and earn some positive momentum for Sunday, Woods’ tee shot at the 175-yard par-3 18th carried through the green and into the rough. Tiger judged the slick, downhill chip perfectly and it was dead on line, caught most of the hole, but the ball refused to drop.

Needless to say, Woods was disappointed afterward. He hit seven-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens in regulation, but left many birdies on the course. After using 32 putts on Friday, Tiger finished with 31 on Saturday.

“I had the blocks with my putter,” he said.

Woods remains convinced he is on the right track.

“Just keep working on what we’re working on,” said Tiger. “I feel like I’m really close to putting it together.”

 Tiger will open his final round in West Virginia on the first hole with playing partner Sangmoon Bae at 9:40 a.m.