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Hideki Matsuyama takes 7-shot lead, as Woods fades late Saturday at Hero World Challenge

LEADERBOARD

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Tiger’s magic was apparent early Saturday at the Hero World Challenge. Birdie-birdie-birdie start and then a hole-out from a bunker led to a 4-under 32 that had him within sight of first. But he fell back to Earth on the final nine and moved 11 behind the lead at Albany Golf Club. It was a particularly crushing finish with a double bogey at the last. Woods posted 2-under 70 for the day.

Hideki Matsuyama, on the other hand, capitalized on his early strong play. The Japanese star, who started the day tied for the lead with Dustin Johnson, birdied three of his first six holes and then punctuated his hot play with a hole-out eagle at the par-4 seventh to jump to 5 under for the round and a four-shot lead.

Not 17 under and well ahead, Matsuyama continued to build. A bogey at 8 was followed by birdies at Nos. 11, 14 and 15. His late blemish at 16 didn’t matter much when he came right back with a birdie at 17.

In the end, it was a 7-under 65 for Matsuyama, who moved to 19 under and seven shots ahead after a stellar Saturday.

Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson will begin the final round at 12 under and register as Matsuyama’s closest pursuers. Matt Kuchar and Brandt Snedeker are tied for fourth at 11 under, with Rickie Fowler solo sixth at 10 under, Jordan Spieth T-7 at 9 under and Woods in that solo 10th spot at 8 under.

Matsuyama will be looking to close out a triumphant fall Sunday with yet another win. The 24-year-old has earned victories in three of his last four starts (including a win at the WGC-HSBC Champions) and his one non-first was a runner-up at the CIMB Classic.

While a win this week wouldn’t count as an official PGA Tour title, Matsuyama has three already in his career.

For a shot-by-shot recap of Woods’ round and a look at other action from Saturday, catch up with all of that below. Be sure to follow us on Twitter (@Golfweek and @GolfweekBabz) throughout the week, and also check out our tournament coverage to date.

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TIGER TRACKER

Hole No. 18: Par 4, 470 yards

Tiger comes to the last with a good shot at a second straight sub-70 round. Just find the fairway. Water lurks left.

OFF THE TEE (3:56 p.m ET): Tiger hits his tee shot right into the waste area. Not great, but it’s not wet.

APPROACH SHOT (4:01 p.m. ET): OH NO! We spoke too soon, his tee shot is dry but his second isn’t. Woods pulls one into the hazard on his second. That one is in the water. He’ll need to get up and down for bogey.

AROUND THE GREEN (4:06 p.m. ET): Tiger pitches one about 20 feet past the hole. He’ll have that for bogey.

ON THE GREEN (4:10 p.m. ET): Crushing. Woods misses and that’s a closing double bogey for the second time in three days.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 2-under 70 (T-9)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Hideki remains five ahead at 19 under. Tiger is 11 back in the clubhouse.

Hole No. 17: Par 3, 195 yards

Back left pin here, could be a good one here for Tiger to dribble one up there.

OFF THE TEE (3:45 p.m. ET): Great accuracy there. That one was right on line, but it comes up 30 feet short. Should be another two-putt par here.

ON THE GREEN (3:51 p.m. ET): Yeah, Tiger! He BURIES that long birdie putt and that’s a nice one amidst some stumbles over the last few. It snuck in the right side and he’s back to double digits under par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 17 (T-8)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Same as before.

Hole No. 16: Par 4, 485 yards

Tiger double bogeyed this hole Thursday and made a big par here Friday. Toughest hole on the course.

OFF THE TEE (3:34 p.m. ET): Tiger misses yet another fairway. It’s well right here, into the waste area. Woods can’t afford another bogey at this point.

APPROACH SHOT (3:36 p.m. ET): Tiger goes from sand to sand, knocking his second in the front bunker.

AROUND THE GREEN (3:39 p.m. ET): That was not an easy bunker shot short-sided, but Tiger knocks it crisply to about 6 feet. That to save par.

ON THE GREEN (3:42 p.m. ET): Great save. Woods knocks in his par putt to stay 9 under overall and 3 under for the round.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 16 (solo 9th)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Nothing has changed in last 10 minutes.

Hole No. 15: Par 5, 548 yards

Tiger comes here leaking plenty of oil. He needs a par 5 right now.

OFF THE TEE (3:21 p.m. ET): Tiger finds the waste area right on his tee ball. Geez.

SECOND SHOT (3:23 p.m. ET): Good layup here, will have wedge third.

THIRD SHOT (3:24 p.m. ET): Beauty. Tiger knocks this one about 7 feet below the hole for a chance at a bounceback birdie.

ON THE GREEN (3:28 p.m. ET): That’s a BIG miss right there. Looked good the hole way, but somehow trickled past on the right. That’s a par, but a very disappointing one.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 15 (T-7)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: After Tiger started off so strong, it’s playing competitor Rickie Fowler with the big Saturday, as the American is now 6 under for the day and solo second at 12 under.

Hole No. 14: Par 4, 303 yards

Regardless of that last bogey, it’s good to have Tiger back playing well.

OFF THE TEE (3:03 p.m. ET): On the short par 4, Tiger takes out driver and it drifts right into a waste area. But he won’t have much from there. Just a pitch really.

AROUND THE GREEN (3:11 p.m. ET): That’s a mental error right there. Woods goes for the long sand splash and it lands just short of the green and rolls all the way back down the hill. Not an easy u and down for par there. Pretty interesting recovery, Woods plays third along ground and knocks it up there to 6 feet.

ON THE GREEN: The wheels are starting to fall off a little. Tiger hits the left lip on his par effort there and it rims out. Bogey-Bogey.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 14 (T-7)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Henrik Stenson is now solo second at 12 under after Dustin Johnson bogeys No. 10.

Hole No. 13: Par 4, 483 yards

This is a long par 4 where the fairway is tough to hit. A great challenge for Tiger to keep his round going.

OFF THE TEE (2:53 p.m. ET): Oh no. Tiger goes left here and it looks like his ball may have ended up in a bush. We’ll keep you posted.

APPROACH SHOT (2:55 p.m. ET): Nevermind! Woods was actually five yards behind that bush. From the waste area, he does pretty well, knocks it just short of the green. Could sneak away with par here.

AROUND THE GREEN (2:59 p.m. ET): Tiger elects to putt from right in front of the green, and … meh. Leaves it 7 feet short. That for par.

ON THE GREEN (3:01 p.m. ET): Ugly stroke there from Woods. Left all the way and he misses. That’s bogey for Tiger.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 13 (T-6)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Henrik Stenson is lighting it up! He’s reached 12 under (-6 for the day) after birdie on 14.

Hole No. 12: Par 3, 202 yards

Tiger is coming off birdie and enters a hole he almost aced yesterday. Let’s see what happens…

OFF THE TEE (2:40 p.m. ET): Well, Tiger switched from 5- to 6-iron and it’s good he did because he still goes LONG. Woods hits it right over the flag, but it’s in the back fringe some 40 feet away.

ON THE GREEN (2:48 p.m. ET): Woods putts from just over the green and rolls it within 4 feet. He cleans that one up nicely. Good par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 5 under thru 12 (T-3)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Rickie Fowler, Tiger’s playing competitor, is quietly 5 under for the round after his birdie putt at 12 rattles in and he has matched Tiger shot for shot at 11 under.

Hole No. 11: Par 5, 589 yards

Tiger’s suddenly seven back after Hideki’s heroics. He has to be careful of fairway bunkers right here.

OFF THE TEE (2:29 p.m. ET): Ohhhhh, that Tiger recoil. Give us some more of that. Woods nukes his drive right over those bunkers, and that one is 50 YARDS past those bunkers. Definition of power right there.

SECOND SHOT (2:36 p.m. ET): Tiger’s approach isn’t perfect but gets it in the greenside bunker.

AROUND THE GREEN (2:40 p.m. ET): Not a great bunker shot, leaves himself about 20 feet. Still a birdie look, though…

ON THE GREEN (2:40 p.m. ET): AND HE GETS IT!! BOOM! Another birdie. Tiger’s now 11 under and five back after Matsuyama bogey.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 5 under thru 11 (T-3)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: As we said, Matsuyama bogeys. That’s still a three-shot lead over DJ though.

Hole No. 10: Par 4, 435 yards

Well, that was a nice 4-under 32, we’re hyped right now.

OFF THE TEE (2:14 p.m. ET): Woods gets it down there in the fairway, but he’ll have a blind second shot.

APPROACH SHOT (2:19 p.m. ET): Smart play. Blind shot, Tiger knocks it 30 feet left of the pin. Should be easy two-putt for par.

ON THE GREEN (2:21 p.m. ET): Ooh ho ho, Tiger made a good run at that putt, but it grazes the right edge and motors 4 feet by. He rolls in that comebacker with ease, though. Par.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 10 (solo 5th)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: See below for how Hideki is laying the wood on this field.

Hole No. 9: Par 5, 603 yards

Probably not reachable today. Woods bogeyed this hole Thursday, but followed with birdie Friday.

OFF THE TEE (1:57 p.m. ET): That’s Tiger’s first real poor tee ball of teh day. Got away with it, though, could have ended up in some bushes, but it ends up on edge of bunker. He’ll have a playable lay-up here.

SECOND SHOT (2:00 p.m. ET): Not Tiger’s best. It was a weird lie on edge of bunker/rough, but still that’s a chunk. A good miss, though, as Woods will have a third from the fairway, it just will be a little longer than he had hoped.

THIRD SHOT (2:04 p.m. ET): As we said, a little longer, not a wedge, but maybe that was what was best. A non-wedge means not much spin, and it’s a back pin. With a short iron, Tiger runs it just short of that pin, will have a nice 12-foot look for birdie!

ON THE GREEN (2:09 p.m. ET): That looked like a misread there. Tiger seemed to hit it where he wanted, but it drifts left, not right, at the end, and misses by a couple balls on left. But tap in par. Woods out in 32!

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 9 (T-3)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Henrik Stenson has gone out in 4-under 32, matching Tiger’s front nine. Aside from Jimmy Walker’s 6-under score, this is the round of the day thus far.

Hole No. 8: Par 3, 216 yards

Remember yesterday when Tiger pulled one way left here and made a miraculous up and down? The pin is front left today and we’re betting it’ll be a little more boring this time.

OFF THE TEE (1:47 p.m. ET): We are correct. Woods hits a beauty of a 4-iron 20 feet right of the pin. A decent chance at another birdie but should do no worse than par.

ON THE GREEN (1:52 p.m. ET): Tiger hits a good putt, but it juuust misses right. All in all, a nice easy par, though. Good stuff, Tiger.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 8 (solo fifth)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Hideki is still 14 under and one ahead. Rickie Fowler 9 under and five back.

Hole No. 7: Par 4, 340 yards

OK, tough bogey at 6, but Tiger can get it right back at this drivable par 4.

OFF THE TEE (1:37 p.m. ET): Tiger likes it and that’s a solid drive, ends up in the greenside bunker. Not a tough up and down for birdie.

AROUND THE GREEN (1:40 p.m. ET): Pretty solid. Bunker blast rolls about 8 feet by the hole. That left for a bounceback birdie.

ON THE GREEN (1:43 p.m. ET): GOT IT. BOOM. Birdie for Tiger, and take that, bogey at No. 6. That putt’s probably bigger than one stroke, too, for momentum purposes.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 7 (T-5)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Hideki takes the outright lead at 14 under with a birdie at 3.

Hole No. 6: Par 5, 595 yards

OK, it’s getting really exciting now. But this par 5, into the wind, probably isn’t reachable in two.

OFF THE TEE (1:21 p.m. ET): Regardless, great drive here from Tiger, who puts it right down the fairway.

SECOND SHOT (1:25 p.m. ET): As we said, now reachable. Tiger knocks a fairway wood well down the fairway. Should be a good wedge in.

THIRD SHOT (1:27 p.m. ET): From 107 yards, Woods goes with pitching wedge, and that comes up well short. He’s a good 45 feet short. Tiger visibly frustrated with that one, and understandably so.

ON THE GREEN (1:30 p.m. ET): Hoo boy. Tiger leaves his first putt 5 feet short and hits it right through the break on that comebacker. That’s a three-putt bogey. Shocking bogey there, really. Bogey-free streak of 23 holes is over.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 6 (T-6)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Matt Kuchar is now 11 under as is Bubba Watson. They are T-3 with Louis Oosthuizen.

Hole No. 5: Par 3, 180 yards

Neither a birdie hole or a particularly tough one. Yeah, boring, but, a par wouldn’t be bad here with a par 5 to come.

OFF THE TEE (1:12 p.m. ET): Oof. That was one of Tiger’s worst shots of the week. That’s short and right in the bunker with a back-right pin. Tiger’s going to need all of his short-game prowess here to get this one up and down.

AROUND THE GREEN (1:15 p.m. ET): WHATTTTT??? Tiger HOLES IT for birdie! That was perfect, rolled it in with terrific speed, and that again was a tough shot. We’re already losing our minds.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 4 under thru 5 (T-3)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Louis Oosthuizen moves within one at 11 under after birdie on 2.

Hole No. 4: Par 4, 492 yards

Yeah, this is where we’re at right now…

OFF THE TEE (12:59 p.m. ET): Cameras didn’t catch where it landed, but Tiger seemed to like his tee ball there. With the driver, too. If he’s in the fairway, we don’t care if it’s a long-iron, he can go after this.

APPROACH SHOT (1:02 p.m. ET): Well maybe this hole is shorter than we thought. Woods’ drive is perfect and actually leaves him with PW. But it’s not a good one. Woods comes up short and it rolls down left of the green. Difficult short-sided pitch to come from there.

AROUND THE GREEN (1:05 p.m. ET): Tiger actually takes putter from off the green here, and it’s OK. Not bad, not great. Leaves himself about 7 feet for par.

ON THE GREEN (1:10 p.m. ET): That’s now 22 holes bogey-free. Woods knocks it right in. That would have been a bad bogey, good save there.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 4 (solo 6th)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Bubba Watson missed a good chance for birdie at the second, but he’s within two at 10 under.

Hole No. 3: Par 5, 572 yards

Just find the fairway here and Tiger could be on his way to a birdie-birdie-birdie start.

OFF THE TEE (12:44 p.m. ET): Nothin’ but fairway. He looks at it for a while as if he’s concerned, but Tiger clears all the sand with his driver and he’s in perfect position for his second shot.

SECOND SHOT (12:50 p.m. ET): From 257 yards away, Woods hits kind of a punchy fairway wood shot. And it’s not great. But that pin was TUCKED on the right side, Tiger played it safe and is just left of the green. So smart strategy, should be able to pitch this within 10 feet.

AROUND THE GREEN (12:54 p.m. ET): We’re about to lose it. Tiger hits a beautiful low checker that finishes up 18 inches from the hole. This is going to be a birdie-birdie-birdie start!

ON THE GREEN (12:55 p.m. ET): Yep, made it. It’s lit.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 3 under thru 3 (T-5)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Henrik Stenson birdied the third to reach 8 under. Rickie Fowler, is only 1 under through 3, which puts him two behind Tiger for the day.

Hole No. 2: Par 3, 187 yards

Tiger’s found the green at this par 3 the last two days, and has gotten easy pars here.

OFF THE TEE (12:36 p.m. ET): Welp, we’re going to stay calm for now, but Tiger just knocked it to 6 feet. We could be getting a birdie-birdie start.

ON THE GREEN (12:41 p.m. ET): OH HE WALKED THAT ONE RIGHT IN. Birdie-birdie start for Tiger and he’s now just four back. Breathe.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 2 under thru 2 (T-6)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: No notable changes at the moment.

Hole No. 1: Par 4, 423 yards

This hole is downwind today, should be a green-lighter for Tiger.

OFF THE TEE (12:26 p.m. ET): Nice one, Tiger. Right down the middle. Should be a wedge into this green. Pin is tucked on the right. You CANNOT miss right on this approach.

APPROACH SHOT (12:32 p.m. ET): From 74 yards, a touch of beauty. Woods spins it 4 feet below the hole, and an opening birdie may be imminent.

ON THE GREEN (12:35 p.m. ET): No problem. Tiger rolls it right in the center. Second straight day with an opening birdie.

TIGER ON THE DAY: 1 under thru 1 (T-7)

ELSEWHERE ON THE COURSE: Zach Johnson starts birdie-birdie to move to 5 under. Henrik Stenson is now 7 under after a birdie at the first.

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REST OF THE FIELD

Update No. 11: 4:55 p.m. ET

Hideki pars 18, and Dustin double bogeys. That means a 7-shot lead heading into Sunday for Matsuyama. Wow. Leaderboard heading into the final round.

Screen Shot 2016-12-03 at 5.03.41 PM

Update No. 10: 4:35 p.m. ET

Hideki is still rolling out there. After a bogey at No. 16, Matsuyama birdies 17 to move back to 19 under. That’s back to a five-shot lead for him.

Update No. 9: 4:03 p.m. ET

Current leaderboard…

Update No. 8: 3:38 p.m. ET

We’ve got a four-way tie for second at 12 under, with Matsuyama well in the lead at 17 under.

Update No. 7: 2:22 p.m. ET

Hideki is heating up!!! He birdies No. 6 and then HOLES OUT for eagle at the next! He’s now 17 under and holds a FOUR-shot lead.

Update No. 6: 1:50 p.m. ET

This is impressive from Jimmy Walker. Moves up to 12th with the fast, strong Saturday effort.

Update No. 5: 1:29 p.m. ET

Hideki Matsuyama and Dustin Johnson both birdie the first hole to reach 13 under. That pair continues to co-lead as they both then par the second.

Update No. 4: 12:20 p.m. ET

Tiger’s outfit for the day.

Update No. 3: 12:19 p.m. ET

President-elect Donald Trump is pumped for Tiger’s return.

Update No. 2: 12:17 p.m. ET

Rickie’s ready for his pairing with Tiger. They go off at 12:26.

Update No. 1: 12:15 p.m. ET

A few players are out on the course. Patrick Reed and Zach Johnson both birdie the first to move to 4 under.

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