WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W. Va. -- Tiger Woods struggled to a 1-over 71 during Saturday's third round of The Greenbrier Classic, due in part to inconsistent driving off the tee and a putter that was consistently cold.
Following opening rounds of 66-69, Woods needed 31 total putts, missing eight attempts inside of 15 feet and four inside 10 feet.
"I said, if I can just get a couple putts to go, then everything could kind of snowball the other way," said Woods, who declined interview requests from the assembled media for a second straight day, but did offer comments to a PGA Tour official. "Instead, I was kind of fighting an uphill battle. ... I hit a lot of shots close. I just need to convert on those and get some kind of string going in a positive way."
After finding 10 of 14 fairways in the opening round, Woods hit just seven for the second consecutive day -- including a few that induced varying levels of cringing.
His tee shot on the 11th hole caromed off a cart path and went out of bounds by mere inches. His tee shot on the 17th hole went so far left that the PGA Tour's Shotlink application deemed it landing in the "unknown."
"For some reason, I hit a couple of bad shots today," he said. "That's the way it goes."
Woods had entered the round with plenty of optimism, posting consecutive rounds in the 60s for the second time this year. Afterward, he knew he could have made it three in a row.
"I gave myself plenty of looks early to get something going and get some kind of run," he said. "Could have easily been 3-, 4-, 5-under par on the front nine. Just got nothing out of it. Hit that shot on 11, and there it goes."
Woods is seven shots behind leaders Jason Bohn, Sean O'Hair, Sung Joon Park and Bryce Molder.