Tiger clings on at Kingston Heath

Reuters

FRUSTRATED: Tiger Woods had a mixed start to his third round at Kingston Heath, opening the door for the challengers.

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World No.1 Tiger Woods struggled to an even par 72 but still found himself in a share of the lead heading into Sunday's final round of the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath.

In contrast to his first two rounds of 66 and 68, Woods battled to stay level with the card.

He is 10 under for the tournament, alongside Australians Greg Chalmers and James Nitties, who both fired third rounds of 69.

The trio has a two-shot break over local hope Cameron Percy and American Jason Dufner,

Dufner, playing in the last group with Woods, streaked away over the front nine with four birdies in the first eight holes, but staggered home with bogeys at the ninth, 16th and 17th holes.

Woods began his round by missing a birdie at the par five first but looked to be on track for another scintillating round when he birdied the second from nine metres.

He dropped a shot at the par four third and found himself unable to find fairways from the tee from then on.

A bogey at the par three 11th was a lucky escape as he could easily have dropped another shot when an errant chip shot stopped centimetres short of a trap.

There was a solitary bright spot on the back nine with a birdie four at the 14th before he came home with four straight pars.

Chalmers, the former Australian Open champion from Western Australia, was out in 32 and dropped one shot - at the 16th - for his 69.

Nitties, from Newcastle, played faultlessly with three birdies and no bogeys on his card.

- AAP