Minnows catch up with Tiger

MELBOURNE, Australia – Tiger Woods stumbled to an even-par 72 in the Australian Masters on Saturday, leaving him in a three-way tie for the lead with locals Greg Chalmers and James Nitties.

Woods lost his three-shot advantage in six holes as he hit one poor shot after another and put himself in bad positions. The only good news for the world’s No. 1 player was that he still had a chance.

Chalmers, who hasn’t won in his native Australia since 1998, had a 69 despite missing a 6-foot par putt on the 16th hole and a birdie putt on the 18th from about that range. Nitties, frustrated early as putts refused to fall, played bogey-free for his 69 and will give Kingston Heath an All-Australian final pairing.

Woods was so frustrated after missing a 5-foot birdie putt on the 12th, he hit his driver well to the right on the 354-yard 13th hole. He threw his driver into the ground and it bounced up and into the gallery, where one surprised fan caught the club and returned it.

“That was my mistake,” Woods said. “I got hot and let go of the club.”

He wasn’t in the best of moods even before he teed off. Woods had what he described as a terrible session on the practice range. He took that game to the course, missing most of the shots to the right, starting with a 3-iron into the hay on the easy par-5 opening hole that he failed to birdie for the first time all week.

It never got better.      (AP)