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MELBOURNE : 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 on Saturday.
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 Sunday'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 American world number one 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.
Woods slumped to his second bogey of the round at the par-3 11th after he missed the green and then over-cooked his putt to the opposite side of the green and missed the long par putt back to fall two shots behind the lead.
The world number one had some luck at the 13th when his wedge out of the bunker hit the flagstick and left him with an easy par putt to stay in touch with the lead.
Woods picked up only his second birdie of the day at the 14th when his eagle putt finished within two feet leaving him with an easy task.
He had a chance to regain the outright lead at the 16th and last holes but missed with birdie putts.
- AFP /ls
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