Fast finish puts penalty-hit Tiger in Masters hunt

AUGUSTA, Georgia: Tiger Woods fired a two-under par 70 in Saturday's third round of the Masters only hours after being hit with a two-stroke penalty, putting him in the hunt for his 15th career major crown.

Woods began a run of three birdies in four holes at the par-3 12th and made tense par putts on the last three holes to share seventh on three-under 213 after 54 holes at Augusta National, where he has won four green jackets.

After a bogey at the par-4 11th, Woods birdied three of the next four holes, then made a sand save at the 16th, a tricky par putt at 17 and a 10-footer for par at the 18th after a bad tee shot.

Woods was four strokes off the lead when he reached the clubhouse with the leaders still finishing their third rounds, but the 14-time major champion has never won a major when he was not leading after 54 holes.

World number one Woods began the day with an early morning meeting with the Augusta National competition committee, which imposed the penalty on him for an improper drop at the par-5 15th hole in Friday's second round.

The committee had checked the drop and ruled it proper on Friday after a television viewer inquiry, but comments by Woods in a post-round television interview opened the door to reconsider the ruling.

After hitting the flagstick with his third shot at 15 on Friday and seeing his ball roll into a water hazard, Woods had said he dropped the ball two yards back from the original shot to avoid a similar risk on the next shot.

When Augusta National competition committee chairman Fred Ridley saw those remarks, the group reversed itself and imposed the penalty, but it would have been within its rights to disqualify Woods for signing an incorrect scorecard.

Instead, a rule change approved in 2011 governing such situations allowed for a two-stroke penalty rather than disqualification for a player who unknowingly makes a violation, which Ridley ruled Woods had done.

The ruling sparked furious comments from former players who were accustomed to players withdrawing themselves if they found they had made a violation, none moreso than three-time Masters winner Nick Faldo of England.

Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the record 18 majors won by Jack Nicklaus, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won the Masters since capturing his fourth green jacket in 2005.

The spectre raised of Woods winning on Sunday and having a tainted victory as he tries to catch or pass Nicklaus was raised by commentators.

Ridley noted that the US PGA and European tours and the US and Royal and Ancient Golf Associations were notified of the decision and supported it. (AFP)