Tiger: Worst I could score

Tiger Woods hopes of a sixth Memorial victory were all-but ended on Saturday

Tiger Woods was frustrated not to get more out of his round after slipping out of contention at the Memorial Tournament.

Woods went into the weekend seven strokes off the pace at Muirfield Village and made a fast start to his third round with four birdies in his opening seven holes, only to struggle on the back nine and post a two-under 70.

The world No 5 was bidding to win Jack Nicklaus’ tournament for a record sixth time and tie Sam Snead’s all-time record of 82 PGA Tour titles in the process, although he now admits that he has left himself too much to do.

Woods sits in the group on four under

“I felt like I hit it a lot better, but I got nothing out of this round,” Woods said. “That’s definitely the highest score I could have possibly shot today.

“I’ve never seen a round that lipped out more shots than today. Six or seven lip-outs today. It was unreal.

Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland

“I’m so far back, and there’s too many guys. I’m not going to win the golf tournament. Hopefully I go out and play a positive round of golf tomorrow, and get something out of my round like I haven’t done the first three days.”

Woods holed from a bunker for an opening-hole birdie and left his approach into the par-four third within tap-in range, before making a two-putt gain at the fifth and rolling in from eight feet at the seventh.

Woods mixed six birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey in his round

Reaching the turn in 32 and within three of the lead, Woods lost ground at the tenth after taking two attempts out of a fairway bunker on his way to a double-bogey six.

Woods scrambled to save par after finding trees off the 11th tee and missed a 10-foot birdie try at the next, before bogeying the 14th after hitting his wedge approach long and failing to get up and down from off the green.

Woods’ next appearance will be at the US Open later this month

The world No 5 drained a 15-foot birdie at the par-five 15th and fired his tee shot at the next to five feet to pick up another shot, but dropped a shot at the last after seeing his par-save putt lip-out.

“My game is right where I feel like it needs to be,” Woods added. “I hit a lot of good shots the last three days here and haven’t really scored like I’ve hit the golf ball.”

Watch the final round of the Memorial Tournament on Sunday from 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.