Woods regained control with three straight birdies early in his round, then finished with a shot that covered the flag for a tap-in birdie that gave him a 4-under 68 in the Chevron World Challenge on Saturday.
It was the first time all year that Woods has posted four straight rounds in the 60s, dating to his final-round 65 in Australia. What mattered was keeping his four-shot lead over US Open champion Graeme McDowell, who also had a 68.
No one else was within eight shots of the lead.
“I’m excited about tomorrow because of the way I’m playing,” said Woods, who has never lost a tournament that he has led by at least three shots going into the final round.
Woods, who has gone more than a year without winning — or even close to winning — was at 17-under 199. He won the last two times he played Sherwood Country Club, where he was the tournament host, missing in 2008 after knee surgery and last year when his personal life was caving in around him.
But after eight months of looking like an ordinary player, he is starting to resemble the guy who has won 82 times around the world and 14 majors. It was his lowest score and largest lead after 54 holes since the BMW Championship last year, which he won by eight.
McDowell, trailing by four going into the second round, quickly closed within a shot with a two-putt birdie on the second and daring tee shot to the top-right hole location on the par-3 third.
Woods quickly pulled away. He hit a blast-and-run from a plugged lie in the bunker on the par-5 fifth to 2 feet, rolled in a fast 20-foot birdie on the sixth and then covered the flag on the seventh to about 3 feet.
Just like that, his lead was back to five.
The back nine could have gone either way. Woods was in trouble off the tee at the 11th, put picked it clean off the dirt to about 12 feet for a two-putt birdie to keep his lead at four shots. He looked to expand that lead when McDowell hit out-of-bounds on the par-5 13th, but he somehow managed a par.
On the next hole, McDowell had 6 feet for birdie and Woods was 20 feet away for par. Woods made, McDowell missed.
That’s why Woods is taking nothing for granted going into the final round. Sherwood is the kind of course where low scores are available because of the five par 5s, but it’s easy to post a big number if a player gets out of position.
Dustin Johnson found that out the hard way, playing the final four holes in 7 over for an 80 that left him at the bottom of the pack.
Woods appears to be making big strides toward getting his game back. He still sees it as baby steps.
“Since the PGA, there has been incremental progress, little stepping stones along the way,” he said.
Paul Casey got off to a fast start, 5 under through seven holes, until he four-putted the eighth for double bogey. He had to settle for par on the next seven holes and wound up with a 69. He was in third place, eight shots behind.
With the greens still slick and the pins slightly tougher, Woods and McDowell matched the best score of the third round. That’s why they’ll be in a two-man race on Sunday with a title on the line. It’s not an official US PGA Tour event, although it might feel like one to Woods.
Furyk voted PGA Tour Player of the Year
Meantime, further gloss was added to Jim Furyk’s superb campaign when the American was named the PGA Tour Player of the Year on Saturday.
Furyk, a triple winner in 2010, edged out compatriots Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson and South African Ernie Els for the honor.
The elite quintet was nominated by the tour’s player advisory council and player directors last month before the winner was determined by tour member voting.
“It’s special to have your peers vote for you,” Furyk told NBC television after PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem announced the result during the third round of the Chevron World Challenge.
“I had a great season but you never know how it’s going to wind up at the end. I feel honored with all the great players on that trophy that have had that honor before. I am humbled by it.
“It’s definitely exciting and it takes the sting out of those bogeys coming down the stretch,” he added with a smile.
One of the steadiest players in the game despite an unorthodox swing, Furyk was the front-runner for the tour award after being named the PGA of America’s Player of the Year last month.
