Woods one of three leaders in Australia
Melbourne, Australia (Sports Network) - Tiger Woods only managed an even-par 72 Saturday and now shares the lead after three rounds of the JBWere Masters.
Woods completed 54 holes at 10-under-par 206. He was joined there by Greg Chalmers and James Nitties, both of whom shot three-under 69 in the third round.
James Dufner (71) and Cameron Percy (69) share fourth place at minus-eight.
Woods, who is making his first appearance in Australia in some 12 years, led by three after two rounds, but that lead was gone by the sixth hole.
The world No. 1 birdied the second to push his lead back to three with a long birdie putt on the second, but gave that stroke right back with a bogey on the third at Kingston Heath Golf Club.
Woods battled to seven consecutive pars from the fourth and was caught in the lead first by Dufner, then by Chalmers. Both Australians also passed Woods, but Dufner bogeyed 16 and 17 to end two shots back.
Chalmers birdied the first for the third straight day, then birdied six and eight to join Woods at 10-under.
Chalmers made it two in a row with a long birdie putt on the ninth to take the lead at 11-under. He went on to par his next six holes, but remained in the lead that entire stretch.
Woods missed the green left at the par-three 11th and that led to a bogey, which dropped him to minus-nine, two strokes behind Chalmers. Woods recovered that shot with a two-putt birdie on the par-five 14th.
Chalmers' par streak ended on the 16th, where he faltered to a bogey to fall into a four-way tie for the lead with Woods, Nitties and Dufner.
At the 17th, Chalmers got up and down from just over the green for par, then missed a six-foot birdie putt at the last to end at 10-under.
Nitties, who played with Chalmers, had a steady round.
He birdied one and eight to make the turn at minus-nine. Nitties birdied the par-five 14th to move to 10-under. He parred the last four to end alongside Chalmers and Woods.
Woods had four birdie chances on his last four holes, with his longest putt being a 35-footer on 17. He two-putted for par on all four holes, including a lip-out from 16 feet on 16, to share the lead.
"I hit a great shot or one of the worst shots you've ever seen, or I hit a beautiful putt or an atrocious putt, there was no gray area today," Woods admitted.
Tim Wilkinson carded a five-under 67 to join Francois Delamontagne (68) in sixth place at seven-under-par 209.
Klas Eriksson matched the low round of the day with his six-under 66. He jumped into a share of eighth place at minus-six. He stands alongside Stuart Appleby (71), Scott Laycock (70), Michael Sim (69) and Ashley Hall (72).
11/14 02:01:04 ET
