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Tiger back in the hunt at the Masters

 Tiger Woods has played some outstanding golf in the third round of the Masters

Woods used superb short-game shotmaking, what had been a major worry only weeks ago, and leaped into the Masters hunt by firing a four-under-par 68 in the third round.

The 14-time major champion birdied four of the first eight holes at Augusta National and, despite a closing bogey, the four-time Masters winner finished on six-under-par 210 after 54 holes in the year’s first major tournament. He sits equal fifth with Rory McIlroy, 10 strokes behind leader Jordan Spieth. Jason Day shot a third-round 71, placing him in 12th position, while fellow Australian Adam Scott hit a 74 and sits 25th on the leader board.

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“I had my chances to make this a really special round,” Woods said.

“I had it going a little bit. I missed a couple of shorties and six and seven. A realistic score would have been six or seven (under) today.”

Woods was level with world No.1 Rory McIlroy but well off the pace of leader Jordan Spieth.

“It’s in Jordan’s hands right now,” Woods said.

“He can run off and hide. He’s just playing ‘Steady Eddie.’ That’s all he has to do, handle the par-fives and stay away from bogeys.”

Woods has not won a Masters since 2005, has not won a major title since the 2008 US Open and has not won any title since the 2013 WGC event at Firestone.

“I’m going to have to post something low, shoot 30 or 31 (on the front nine), at least give myself a chance on the back nine,” Woods said of his Sunday final-round strategy.

Woods, who has fallen to 111th in the world rankings, went three under on the first four holes for the first time in his Masters career, birdied the par-5 eighth, 13th and 15th holes but went right into trees off the tee at 14 and 18 on the way to bogeys.

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