Woods falls further back at Hero World Championship

Tiger Woods’ early feel-good story hit a rough chapter on Saturday as the 14-time major champion struggled during the third round of the Hero World Challenge in Nassau, Bahamas.

Woods looked like a golfer who had been away for 10 months by falling 10 strokes behind leader Charley Hoffman at the Albany Golf Course.

Hoffman answered his second-round 9-under-par 63 by matching the best round of the day on Saturday with a 2-under 70 to move to 14-under 202 for the tournament. The 40-year-old holds a five-stroke cushion over England’s Justin Rose (71) and Jordan Spieth (72).

Hoffman answered a double bogey-6 at the 10th with birdies on three of his final five holes.

“I wouldn’t say I didn’t struggle. There was a struggle for an extended period of time,” Hoffman told The Golf Channel. “I was able to sort of scrape it around, which means a lot to me on a day that I didn’t drive it well and still shot a couple under par.”

Hoffman is bidding for his first tournament win since the Valero Texas Open in May 2016.

While Hoffman prospered, Woods struggled as he failed to make a birdie until the 14th hole and fell out of contention with a 3-over 75 to reside in a tie for 10th place.

“Anything I did right ended up in a bad spot,” the 41-year-old Woods told The Golf Channel after he made two birdies and five bogeys. “Anything I did wrong, it was really bad. It was just one of those days. Have to keep fighting. That’s one thing I’ve done my entire career. Try and post the best number I possibly could.

“It’s ridiculous it took me 14 holes to make a birdie. It’s just one of those days. I fought through it. Tomorrow’s another fight. I didn’t feel like I was that far off. … I just ended up in bad spots after good shots.”

Woods, who hit seven of 13 fairways and nine of 18 greens, bogeyed two par-5s at the third and sixth holes, and also bogeyed the par-4 seventh.

“I hit that shot at (No.) 3, which was 278 to the hole, and it went about 290 with a cut. I didn’t know I had that shot,” Woods said. “Then I was up against a collar, and that’s a bad spot and made bogey there. Same thing at (No.) 7. I carried it too far. I was trying to carry it about 300 or so and carried it 320. Ended up in a bad spot and no shot.”

Woods is returning after his fourth back surgery. He last played in February prior to a nearly 10-month absence.

Woods wasn’t alone in his struggles as world No. 1 Dustin Johnson settled for a 76 while Sweden’s Henrik Stenson shot a 77.

Rose had some bumpy moments on Saturday after a fast start, but he is still poised to finish in the top 10 for his ninth consecutive start.

“This is how I should be playing golf, just a bit of determination, motivation,” Rose told The Golf Channel.

Italian Francesco Molinari shot a 71 to reside in fourth place at 8 under, one stroke ahead of defending champion Hideki Matsuyama (72), Rickie Fowler (72), Patrick Reed (71), Matt Kuchar (72) and England’s Tommy Fleetwood (74).

Matsuyama is attempting to join Woods (2006-07) as the only players to win the Hero World Challenge in back-to-back seasons.