Tiger Woods in contention at Carnoustie

Woods finished where he started Sunday, at 5 under, shooting a final-round 71 to finish 3 strokes behind champion Francesco Molinari – Woods’ playing partner in the final round. “I need to go get it”, Woods said. He started Sunday four shots behind the trio of leaders, a deficit that offered no margin for error, but his inability to close it out still reminded us that winning majors is more hard than he once made it seem.

For a 20-minute spell, Woods’s name was on top of the leaderboard, which prompted the idea that the other contenders, the young Turks… Molinari, 35, certainly earned his Claret Jug, playing nearly flawless golf on a gusty day off the eastern Scottish coast.

Schauffele had to hole out a wedge on the final hole and checked up well short of the hole. “Would have been better if I made that putt (a 10-footer for birdie on the 18th), but didn’t hit it where I thought the line was, and it broke too much”.

Spieth and Schauffele have parred their first two holes.

Woods had placed himself with a great chance after a fabulous 66 on Saturday, but still rued a missed opportunity. Molinari didn’t make a bogey on his way to a 69 while playing alongside Woods.

A long putt in the 14th (second and last par 5 of the day) took him to -7 and he saved par at 15, 16 and 17.

Ideal conditions in the third round led to a number of low scores, including a 64 by Justin Rose and 65s by Spieth and Francesco Molinari.

Molinari, who finished at 8-under 276, raised his fist and shook it lightly before slamming it for emphasis.

If Spieth stays in the lead, he would be the first defending champion to lead going into the final round since Tiger Woods at Hoylake in 2006.

When Schauffele followed Spieth’s poor example and carded a double-bogey six at the next hole, the seventh, Woods had the outright lead.

He had looked assured as he began with four pars but a bogey at the fifth rattled him and the wheels fell off when a trip to a gorse bush ended with a double-bogey at the sixth. “There were quite a few guys five or six under par after 12 holes”, Woods said after his round.

Woods said it was extra special for him as all his two children had witnessed before were his fall from grace both personally – divorcing their mother Elin Nordgren because of serial infidelities – and professionally. “If I can just make the birdies and try to limit the damage tomorrow it will be interesting”. Six were still tied on the back nine. At one point, he went over to the practice green, but not to prepare for a playoff. I figured looking at the board isn’t going to do me any good and I was just happy to claw my way back in a little bit. But it was close.