Tiger Woods has plenty of takeaways from Bahamas

NASSAU, Bahamas - Doubts instead of clouds hovered over Tiger Woods in this slice of paradise as he returned to competitive golf for the first time in nearly 16 months.

While clouds moved in on Saturday at the Hero World Challenge at Albany Golf Club, those doubts have sailed away with the cruise ships. The former world No. 1 has given every indication that as long as his back holds up, he’ll be one tough customer to deal with in 2017.

In an opening-round 73 and then during the stunning 65 he shot in round 2, Woods looked strong, his speed impressive and his short game in order. Then he really whet the appetites of golf fans when he burst off the first tee in the third round and went birdie-birdie-birdie, then added another birdie by holing a 25-yard shot out of the bunker at the fifth.

Could the impossible become possible? Could Woods actually win in his first start in 466 days?

No. But another indication that Woods is back to being Woods again – at least in the manner of how he grades himself – is that after a 2-under-par 70 in the third round, he wasn’t angry but wasn’t exactly pleased with the red-number result even knowing he’s been away for so long. When you get within two shots of the lead on the front nine as Woods did, and then end up 11 shots behind leader Hideki Matsuyama at day’s end, you shake your head wondering what might have been. When you make birdies on four of the first five holes, add another on the 11th but come home with two bogeys and a double in your last six holes, lose the feel of your putter and miss your last five fairways off the tee, a sour taste takes up residence in your mouth.

At 8 under through 54 holes, Woods is left to battle for anything but the championship hardware that Matsuyama, who has won three of his last four starts and has posted 65-67-65 this week, has in his clutches.

But battle is what Woods will do in Sunday’s final round.

Woods, who had no idea what to expect this week and didn’t know he could even go 72 holes, will look back and see far more positives than negatives. For instance, those chipping woes that haunted him? Long gone. And going forward, and especially when he has more time to deal with his new equipment and build up his strength, he’s confident he’ll get better.

“I’m very pleased to be back and to be able to compete at this level again,’’ said Woods, the winner of 79 PGA Tour titles and 14 majors. “It’s been a very, very difficult road. You guys were all here last year and I did not feel very good. I was really, really struggling and I struggled for a very long time. Worked with my physios and had to be very patient and was finally able to start building, and here we are.

“Because I’ve been away for so long, I haven’t been able to condition myself physically. I’m not running like I used to when I was younger. Those 30-mile weeks are gone. I’m not lifting like I used to. I’m just not quite there, but it is coming. That’s the great thing is that I’m building, and the fact that each day I’ve gotten a little bit stronger. I think I’m getting used to playing out here, the mental preparation for a round. I’m starting to get into the flow of warming up, seeing shots, feeling shots, hitting shots, getting the feel for the wind.’’

Rickie Fowler, paired with Woods Saturday, played rounds and practiced with Woods at the Medalist Golf Club in Florida before the Ryder Cup and then before leaving for the Australian Open.

“It’s been impressive to see where he was prior to the Ryder Cup playing and practice-wise to now,’’ Fowler said. “The quality of golf kept improving. It’s been impressive to see what he’s put together this week; that progress he has made, the speed that he has gained the last couple of months. It’s fun to see. I knew he wasn’t going to come out before he was ready, and I think he’s shown that he waited the right amount of time.

“I can’t imagine considering where he was in the early 2000s when he was arguably the greatest to play the game to dealing with not being about to put the same move on the ball and hit the same type of shots that he was used to seeing and remain patient. To go through the process and wait until he was healthy enough to get back. That’s been impressive, too.’’

Woods has 18 holes to go. He won’t waste one of them.

MALELANE, South Africa Brandon Stone will take a 3-shot lead into the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship, when he’ll have defending champion Charl Schwartzel for company, after a second successive 66 took him to 17 under overall.

The 23-year-old Stone, who led by one overnight, made most of his birdies in clutches on Saturday, three in a row on the front nine and three in four holes on the back to move clear of Schwartzel, Chris Hanson and Keith Horne. Those three are all 14 under.

GOLD COAST, Australia - Andrew Dodt held the lead for the third straight round at the Australian PGA Championship on Saturday, hanging onto a two-stroke cushion after Adam Scott started fast but faded and Harold Varner III scrapped on the front nine and finished strongly.

Dodt had five birdies and three bogeys as he went around in 70 on Saturday, moving to 14-under 202.

Varner started the day five shots off the pace and narrowed the gap to two, moving into a share of second spot at 12 under with Australian Ashley Hall after carding a 67 that included eagles at the 15th to the 17th and a clutch putt for a bogey at the 18th. Hall had two eagles and twice pulled level for the lead, but bogeys on the last two holes meant he finished with a 70.