Tiger sizzles at Sawgrass with lowest ever score in The Players

TIGER WOODS shot not only his lowest score of the year but his lowest-ever at the Players Championship as he electrified the enormous galleries with a wonderful third-round 65 yesterday.

The 42-year-old began the day tied 68th after just making the halfway cut but at one point had moved up to tied fifth after playing his first 12 holes in a brilliant eight under par, including a front nine completed in 30 strokes — another career best.

More birdies followed at the 11th and 12th but a bogey at the 14th stalled his momentum and he failed to birdie the par-five 16th.

It was still a terrific round that emphasised that his thrilling comeback remains firmly on track. ‘I guess I could have got a little more out of it given my finish but I’ll definitely take it,’ he said. ‘I’ve said for a while that I’ve got my feel for tournament golf back and today I made some putts as well.

‘I just had a lot more control of the ball today and I could hit it both ways, which you need to do around this course. I’m in the top 10 now and, while I know I won’t be by the end of this third round, it was still a really encouraging day.’

The fact he began 15 shots off the pace set by halfway leader Webb Simpson did not deter thousands of fans from getting up early. And how they were rewarded, as Woods quickly got down to business. Soon, it was just like the old days as the whispers filtered through the trees that Woods was on the march.

By the time he got to the seventh, with four birdies on his card already, every inch at this course designed to host large numbers appeared to have been filled.

Over the first two days, when he shot rounds of 72 and 71, Woods had only managed five sub-par holes, with four birdies and one eagle.

When he struck a fabulous long iron on to the par-five ninth and two putted, it was his sixth such gain of a remarkable outward half.

Given most of the scoring holes at Sawgrass are actually on the back nine, it was not surprising that speculation was rife as to how low he could actually go.

He took full advantage of the birdie opportunities at the 11th and 12th but the difficult parfour 14th has traditionally caused him problems and did so again, as he flailed his drive into the boondocks on the right and made bogey. At the par five 16th he was desperately unlucky as his eight-foot birdie putt caught a lot of the hole but refused to drop.

He might have birdied the 18th as well but his laser-like second shot took one hard hop rather than finishing next to the hole. Woods hit 11 out of 14 fairways, as the ‘stinger’ two iron proved a potent weapon from the tee. Eleven putts for the first nine holes did not hurt either.

Woods was not the only big name to make giant strides. Jordan Spieth, who began on the same mark, matched his 65.

They finished more than 90 minutes before leader Webb Simpson even began. But however many strokes they trailed come the end of the day, one fact remains: This Tiger comeback is for real.

Mike Lorenzo-Vera will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Rocco Forte Sicilian Open after firing a brilliant 63 on day three at Verdura Golf Club.

The Frenchman has never won on the European Tour in over 150 appearances, but will have an excellent chance on Sunday after taking advantage of calmer conditions on the Sicily coast to get to 15 under.

Playing partner Joakim Lagergren also fired a 63 to sit at 13 under alongside Julien Guerrier, one shot clear of Lucas Bjerregaard.

Also on the European Tour, Jose-Filipe Lima and Stuart Manley share a one-shot lead at the Open de Portugal.

Wales’s Manley recovered from an opening bogey to card five birdies, his final gain of the day coming courtesy of a brilliant 25-foot putt the 16th hole, to sign for a four under par 68 – the best round of the day in the Algarve.

It was a good day for Ireland’s Gary Hurley who is just two strokes off the leaders after slipping back with a two over par 74 yesterday.