After a two-putt par at 13, he squandered a good birdie chance at the par-5 14th, failing to get up-and-down from just short of the green.

At the difficult par-4 15th, a bad drive and poor second shot into the front, greenside bunker put Woods in jeopardy of making another bogey. But he nearly holed a long explosion shot and escaped with a par.

Woods found the fairway with an iron off the tee at the short par-4 16th and had 70 yards to the green. His sand wedge approach finished eight feet behind the cup, but he was unable to convert the birdie attempt.

The top-ranked Woods nearly holed a 17-foot birdie try at the par-3 17th hole. At the par-5 18th, he drove into the left rough and was unable to go for the water-guarded green in two. After a nice lay-up, Woods hit his third shot into the left, greenside bunker and short-sided himself.

However, he hit a wonderful bunker shot four feet past the hole and saved par.

Woods will hope to improve his ball-striking in the final round. On Saturday, he hit only nine of 18 greens in regulation.

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