Running out of steam, again

Nassau (Bahamas), Dec 4

Woods, who had been sidelined for nearly 16 months due to back-related issues, birdied six of the first 11 holes while briefly closing to within two shots of the lead before bogeying 13 and 14, and ending the third round with a double bogey. 

The 40-year-old Woods, the prime focus of attention in the 18-man event which he hosts at the Albany course on the island of New Providence, signed for a two-under 70 that put him a distant 10 behind runaway leader Hideki Matsuyama of Japan (65).

“For three straight days I’ve been off to great starts,” Woods said. “Two of the three days I did not continue it, but overall I am just so happy to be back out here competing again and fighting against these guys.”

“It’s been a tough road to come back here, to get to this point. I missed it,” said Woods, who treated his fans with a highlight at the fifth where he holed out from a greenside bunker for birdie.

World No. 6 Matsuyama, who has won three of his last four starts worldwide, holed out from the fairway to eagle the par-four seventh on his way to a 19-under total of 197 for a commanding seven-shot lead. Long-hitting American Dustin Johnson (72) and British Open champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden (66) were tied for second with Americans Brandt Snedeker (69) and Matt Kuchar (71) a further stroke back at 11-under.

Most eyes, however, were on tournament host Woods, who thrilled the galleries at Albany as he birdied the first, second, third and fifth to surge up the leaderboard.

Though he three-putted to bogey the par-five sixth, he picked up further shots at the seventh and 11th, where he sank an eight-footer to sit five strokes off the pace.

As the winds picked up, Woods’ game unravelled.

He bogeyed 13 and 14 as he missed five of the last six fairways off the tee and closed with an ugly six at the par-four last after his second shot ricocheted into a water hazard via mounding off the left side of the fairway. 

Stone cruises to easy win at Alfred Dunhill Championship 

Malelane (SA): Brandon Stone claimed a second European Tour victory as he ran away from the field for a seven-stroke triumph at the Alfred Dunhill Championship at the Leopard Creek Country Club on Sunday.

The 23-year-old extended his overnight three-shot advantage as he finished with a 67 and a 22-under-par total of 266 on the opening weekend of the new Tour season. Four birdies in five holes from 10th strengthened his grip on the leaderboard and saw him move away from the chasing pack to add to the South African Open title he won in January.

Fellow South African Richard Sterne was second after a final round 67 with Belgian Thomas Detry a further two shots back in third place. The 23-year-old Detry hit a four-under 68 to confirm the promise he showed in graduating from the challenge tour.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, seeking to win the same title on the European Tour for the fifth time and join an elite club with Bernard Langer, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods, carded a final round 74 and was 10 strokes behind. He did threaten a fightback when he hit three birdies in his opening six holes, but a triple bogey eight at the 15th ended his slim chances. — Reuters