Tiger Woods posted the worst round of his career – a 13-over par 85 – to slip to last place after the third round of the Memorial Tournament in Ohio on Saturday.
– #360view: Tiger needs to rediscover self-belief
– Nicklaus supports McIlroy over Memorial Tournament pull-out
– VIDEO: Legend Gary Player on the rise of golf in India
The former world No 1, whose previous worst of 82 came earlier this year at the Phoenix Open, was six shots behind the second-worst player at 12-over par 228.
Woods struggled throughout and was already nine-over par before finishing with a quadruple-bogey on the par-four 18th. In all, he had one quad bogey, two back-to-back double bogeys, six bogeys and hit four balls into the water. His only birdie of the day came as late as the par-5 15th hole.
Bogeys on the fourth and fifth holes and double-bogeys on the eighth and ninth saw the 14-time major winner make the turn at six over par, and then bogeyed the 11th, 12th and 14th holes before the birdie on the 15th.
Woods then dropped a further stroke on the 17th, before it all went wrong on the 18th. He sent his tee shot into a water hazard, then found further trouble by hitting into a bunker. He three-putted the hole, and then declined to speak to the media.
His playing partner Zac Blair – who carded a 70 – backed his former hero to bounce back.
“I’ve always wanted to play with him,” Blair said. “As a little kid that was kind of my dream growing up. But it was unfortunate to see him not play great. I thought he handled it great. He never got super outwardly emotional…. but I don’t think he ever got disrespectful out there.”
Blair later tweeted: “I hope to get to play many more years with him and I know he will get back to being the best player in the world.”
