of-sorts Tiger Woods battled to a share of the lead after the third round of the Australian Masters Saturday, as his rivals failed to capitalize on an off day for the world No. 1. Woods held a three-stroke lead going into the third round and seemed set to charge ahead after draining a monster birdie putt on the par-four second. But that was almost as good as it got for the 14-time major champion, who said he felt lucky to escape with an even par 72. Woods ended the day joint leader with local hopes Greg Chalmers and James Nitties on 10-under par at the A$1.5 million ($1.4 million) co-sanctioned event. American Jason Dufner and Australia's Cameron Percy are two shots further back. “I was very fortunate, somehow I found a way to shoot even par today because it certainly should have been a lot worse than that,” Woods told reporters at Kingston Heath Golf Club. “I hit some really good shots out there as well but also I hit some just terrible golf shots and it was either-or, there was no grey area today.” After recovering to shoot a four-under 68 after a mid-round slump with the driver a day earlier, Woods's troubles were more prolonged Saturday, the American finding bunkers on the sixth and eighth, and the fairway of the 10th when he was playing nine. His frustration boiled over at one stage, his driver ending up in the hands of a spectator after Woods pounded it into the turf after a poor tee shot. Although most of the 24,000 fans at Kingston Heath turned up expecting fireworks from Woods, it was his playing partner Dufner who stole the show early on. Joint second overnight, the stocky American notched four birdies in six holes on the front nine to snatch the lead after the eighth, but surrendered it immediately with bogey on nine. He fell back after two more dropped shots coming home. Chalmers also took a one-stroke lead with his second successive birdie at the par-four ninth, but nerves appeared to get the better of the Australian on the back nine. Both Nitties and Chalmers missed birdie chances on the par-four 18th, leaving Woods pleased to still cling on to a share of the lead. Australia's Adam Scott is five strokes off the pace but former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy is all but out of contention after shooting a one-under 71 to trail by 10. Shin seizes LPGA lead Jiyai Shin, vying to add the LPGA Player of the Year award to Rookie of the Year honors, seized the lead in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational at Guadalajara in Mexico Friday with a six-under 66. The 21-year-old from South Korea came into the event with a four-point lead over world number one Ochoa in the player of the year race. She topped the leaderboard at 11-under 133. Americans Michelle Wie (66) and Paula Creamer (69) were tied for second on 136. Overnight leader Song-Hee Kim of South Korea fired a 72 for 137. It was a further two strokes back to Norway's Suzann Pettersen (67), Brittany Lincicome (70), Cristie Kerr (70), Brittany Lang (70) and Colombia's Maria Jose Uribe (72) on 139, while Ochoa was in a group on 140 after a 69 at Guadalajara Country Club.
