Story highlights
Tiger Woods slips back after third round 75 at Australian Open
Overnight leader Woods falls six behind John Senden who cards a 63
Jason Day of Australia trails compatriot Senden by one shot
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain leads storm-hit Singapore Open
Tiger Woods slumped to a three-over 75 to slip down the field in the Australian Open in Sydney Saturday as former winner John Senden charged to the front with a sparkling nine-under-par 63.
Woods is searching for his first tournament win since the Australian Masters in 2009 but the promise of his second round 67 disappeared after he bogeyed the opening three holes.
The American superstar never recovered and was left to rue another disappointing day with his putter.
“I made nothing today. I couldn’t get any momentum. Any time I hit the golf ball in there stiff I’d miss it and it kept happening again and again,” Woods told AFP.
It left Woods six shots behind Senden on six-under 210 going into Sunday’s final round.
The 40-year-old Senden, who won the prestigious title in 2006, needed only 23 putts and holed a tricky 30-footer on the last for a birdie to take a one-shot lead over young compatriot Jason Day.
Australian left-hander Greg Chalmers was a further shot back, with compatriot Nick O’Hern and American Nick Watney on nine-under.
“It was a good day, I kicked it off with that birdie at five and holed that pitching wedge from 100m for an eagle at the sixth so that put me in a good frame of mind heading to the turn,” Senden said.
Day, who finished second in the Masters and U.S. Open, carded a four-birdie 68 as he celebrated his 24th birthday in style.
“Obviously, it was a really good day today, a nice solid round and I’m very happy with the position I’m in for tomorrow,” he said.
Meanwhile, on the European Tour, the Barclays Singapore Open was hit by thunderstorms Saturday, but not before Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano had wrapped up a superb 10-under-par 61 to lead at halfway on 15-under 127.
That left him three shots clear of England’s James Morrison and Edoardo Molinari of Italy at the par-71 Sentosa Golf Club.
Star attraction and four-time major-winner Phil Mickelson finished with a double bogey before the rains came, but still carded a second round 67 to make the cut by two shots on four-under 138.