Tiger Woods is out of contention, but still delivering some magical moments

Tiger Woods of the United States waves after putting on the 11th hole during round three of the Hero World Challenge at Albany, The Bahamas on December 3, 2016 in Nassau, Bahamas.

Everyone is chasing Hideki Matsuyama at the Hero World Challenge (read here): Doug Ferguson rounded up the details on how an impressive round of 65 gave Hideki Matsuyama a commanding seven-shot lead heading into the final day in the Bahamas.

Woods, three shy of Sam Snead’s all-time PGA Tour win mark, plays Sunday’s final round alongside South African Louis Oosthuizen.

Right now, the Japanese star can’t seem to lose.

Woods did not win the tournament he hosts and that raises money for his foundation, but he did card exactly as many birdies for the week as victor Hideki Matsuyama did: 24. And unfortunately, I haven’t been able to keep it going, except for yesterday. And to be able to follow in their footsteps is a great honor.

The quick breakdown of Woods’ week looks like this: He lead the field in birdies, but he also led the field in double bogeys.

“I’m very pleased to be back and to be able to compete at this level again”, said Woods, the victor of 79 PGA Tour titles and 14 majors. “I missed it. I love it”.

Matsuyama is moving up in class quickly.

After making strong starts in each of the first three rounds, Woods struggled early on Sunday with a bogey at the fifth and a double-bogey at the next.

American Harold Varner III (67) and Australia’s Ashley Hall (70) were two strokes back.

He spent considerable time in the sand waste areas after missing the last five fairways at Albany Golf Club, a 7,302-yard Ernie Els-designed layout. “He’s going to be one of the players that we’re going to have to beat for a long time”. Nobody is. But the way Matsuyama has been winning – and the way he won this tournament on Sunday – certainly served as a reminder of the guy who handed him the trophy. He closed with a 68. Matsuyama, who travelled to the Bahamas on the back of a hot streak, three tournament wins and a runner-up place in his last four starts, played steady – at times brilliant – golf. Before the tournament, Woods noted how Bubba Watson won at 25 under par previous year and figured even getting to 20 under would be “a tall order”.

Stenson sank a six-foot birdie putt at the 16 to pull within two and both parred the 17.

After his tee shot found a bush, the former world number one scrambled to card a double bogey and sign for a 76, leaving him on four under for the tournament.

Woods was returning to competitive action after 466 days, with many having already written his golf obituary, and he admitted his battle against a chronic back problem had been tough.

Woods has 18 holes to go. Matsuyama’s shot from the rough bounded over the green, while Stenson had 12-feet for birdie.

Instead, Woods couldn’t get up-and-down on No. 10 and made bogey. “And possibly, that could be the same tomorrow”.

His front-nine in the third round, including birdies on each of the opening four holes, showed the golf world, what Woods can still be capable of. “But the Masters is my next goal”.

Further down the field, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar tied for third on 13 under.