Australian Masters third round leaderboard: -11 A Bland (Aus) -8 D Gaunt (Aus) -7 A Stolz (Aus) -5 J Lyle (Aus) -4 S Appleby (Aus), R Haller
Selected others:-1 T Woods (US) +2 S Garcia (Spn)
 Woods was left to rue numerous missed putts in Melbourne |
Tiger Woods' bid to retain his Australian Masters title is all but over, with the world number two trailing leader Adam Bland by 10 shots. Woods struggled on the greens, only managing a 71 and needs a miraculous final round in Melbourne to challenge. Sergio Garcia reversed the progress he made with his second-round 65, carding a 77 to lie 13 strokes off the pace. Australian Bland fired a 70 in the rain for an 11-under-par total and a three-shot lead over compatriot Daniel Gaunt. Recently deposed world number one Woods, who has not won a tournament since his victory at nearby Kingston Heath a year ago, started his round nine strokes behind Bland and he lost further ground with bogeys on holes two and six.  | 606: DEBATE |
The 14-time major winner sank 12-foot birdie putt on the seventh but dropped another shot on the next. Woods was steadier thereafter at Victoria Golf Club, but could only pick up two more birdies, at nine and 18, and admitted he is likely to relinquish his crown on Sunday. "I'm so far back that I have to play a great round and I need help, the only thing I can control is going out there and putting a low one on the board," said the 34-year-old American. "I really haven't putted well this week, if I putted normally and made a couple more shots I'd be right in there." Garcia fared a lot worse in the incessant downpour, his six-over effort featuring five bogeys and a double-bogey on the par-three 16th. However the 31-year-old Bland, who has held at least a share of the lead since day one and was in front by one at the start of his third round, sank four birdies in the difficult conditions. His nearest rival Gaunt went around in 68, while another Aussie Ryan Haller had the best round of the day - a 66 - and is tied for fifth with countryman Stuart Appleby, seven behind Bland.
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