Saturday 7 April 2018 20:41, UK
Tiger Woods admitted not taking advantage of the par-fives was again costly after failing to mount a charge on 'moving day' at the Masters.
The four-time champion arrived at Augusta National as one of the favourites on the back of his encouraging early-season form, but he will be playing for pride in the final round following a level-par 72 on day three.
Woods made his customary faltering start as he pulled his opening drive, dumped his approach into the front bunker, splashed out to 10 feet and tugged the par attempt wide.
The 42-year-old then found sand off the tee at the long second and was forced to lay up, and he put another wedge into a greenside bunker and again failed to get up-and-down.
The wet conditions dampened the Woods mood further when he missed a good chance to claw a shot back on the third, but he did lift his spirits with a good swing at the sixth, knocking his tee shot to eight feet and rolling in the putt.
Woods did well to get down in two from long range for another birdie at the eighth, and after three pars around the turn, he raised his arms in mock celebration when he finally found the green at the 12th, where he had found Rae's Creek in each of the first two rounds.
But he could not convert from inside 10 feet, and he soon dropped back to five over when his third to the long 15th bounded over the back and led to his third bogey of the round.
Woods enjoyed his best shot of the day at 16 as he laced a pure iron to four feet and made the putt, and two closing pars completed another frustrating round for the 14-time major champion as he remained four over for the tournament.
"Again, I didn't play the par‑fives well and I didn't hit a lot of good iron shots," said Woods, whose worst finish in the Masters as a professional is a tie for 40th. "It was the same as yesterday.
"I'm putting so well today, this week, and I'm hitting so many good putts, they're just not going in. But I'm not hitting it close enough, I'm not getting up there and not taking advantage of the par‑fives and consequently a good round is even par.
Hopefully I can hit my irons better on Sunday. It's been scratchy this week and I just haven't got it done. I feel like I'm driving it better than I have all year, but I am not capitalising on it, and when I did miss, I missed in the wrong spots. My swing is just off with my irons just at the wrong time.
"I wish this week would have been a little bit better, so hopefully tomorrow I can shoot something, get me to even par or even in the red. I think that will be a good goal tomorrow and hopefully I can get it done."
