PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Tiger Woods turned in his best round of the season and his lowest score ever at The Players Championship.

It propelled him up the leaderboard.

Staying there might prove difficult considering the favorable scoring conditions at TPC Sawgrass.

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Woods shot a 7-under 65 in the third round Saturday, besting his previous low score on the Stadium Course by a stroke. He honed in his iron shots, fine-tuned his putter and was so hot through 12 holes that it looked like he might challenge the course record.

”I wish I could repeat it more often, but honestly it was just a better start,” Woods said. ”I got off to a much better-quality start.”

Woods took advantage of warm weather, soft greens and little wind by making birdies at three of the first four holes . He drained putts of 15, 5, 10 and 17 feet, regaining a scoring touch that eluded him last week at the Wells Fargo Championship and in the opening two rounds in Ponte Vedra Beach.

”E..

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Mackenzie Hughes had not felt the jangled nerves and pressure to perform since he won his first PGA Tour event as a rookie 18 months ago. But this was Saturday morning. Breakfast was still being served in the clubhouse. He was 14 shots out of the lead at The Players Championship.

And he was playing with Tiger Woods.

”To be in an environment like that really gets your juices going,” Hughes said. ”It’s 90 degrees, but I can assure you I had some goose bumps and shivers at times when you hear some of the roars and you realize, `I’m playing with Tiger Woods.” It was fun.

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Woods made it even more memorable with his best round at the TPC Sawgrass, and his lowest score the end of the 2015 season. Woods opened with eight birdies in 12 holes until his momentum slowed and he settled for a 65.

Hughes, who had missed 12 of 15 cuts this season, overcame a rough start with four straight birdies in the middle of his round and a 68.

Woods m..

SCIACCA, Sicily (AP) Mike Lorenzo-Vera of France hit a stunning 8-under-par 63 to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Sicilian Open on Saturday.

Lorenzo-Vera fired an impressive 64 in high winds on Friday and he went one better, hitting eight birdies – including three in a row – to reach 15 under and put himself in pole position for a first European Tour title.

”If I bring the good game, I can win for sure,” Lorenzo-Vera said. ”If someone just doesn’t go crazy and shoot 10 under … if it’s good weather, I’ll have a really good chance.”

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Countryman Julien Guerrier, who led overnight with Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark, signed for a 67 to slip two shots behind along with Joakim Lagergren of Sweden, who also carded a 63.

Bjerregaard was one shot further back after starting his third round at Verdura Golf Club with a double bogey but fighting back to produce a 68.

Tiger Woods barely made the cut at this week's Players Championship, but he still provided arguably the most-watched shot from the first two rounds at TPC Sawgrass. And it wasn't even anything that exciting.
The 14-time major champ may not be the player he once was, but he's still the game's biggest draw. And he's still the only golfer who can turn something as simple as hitting an iron off the tee on a par 4 into a highlight. Seriously, this was just a 254-yard shot that found a fairway, and yet, it was a work of art. Enjoy:
https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/995000984245100545
Look at trajectorythat trajectory TRAJ! A stinger that was also a slinger, perfectly shaped around the pond on No. 18. That's pure golf porn right there. Absolutely spectacular.
But as beautiful as the shot was, it was also a reminder that we didn't have Protracer for peak Tiger. Tragic. So let's savor these moments while we can.
RELATED: Tiger Woods jokingly jabs at Phil..

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Tiger Woods‘ weekend plans were as unstable as his iron play Friday.

Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas finally solidified them with a pair of bogeys on the tough par-4 18th at TPC Sawgrass.

Woods made the cut on the number at The Players Championship, but only after getting a little help from two of the top players in the world.

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Woods struggled with accuracy and distance control during a steamy day on the Stadium Course. He shot a 1-under 71 to reach 1 under, earning a spot in the third round after some late cut movement.

”I got to shoot something in the probably mid-60s both days to get myself up there to have a chance or something,” Woods said. ”Hopefully give myself some more looks. Feel like I’m putting well. I’m just never inside that range which I should be with the irons I’m having.”

With 80 players making the cut at the Players, the field with be trimmed after 54 holes for the second time in two weeks on the PGA Tour…

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Rickie Fowler spent several minutes searching for his ball. He even borrowed binoculars to peer high into a palm tree as several spectators furiously shook it.

At one point, Fowler looked like a seasoned bird watcher.

A few minutes later, he was staring at a double bogey.

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Fowler’s errant and unlucky tee shot at the par-4 sixth proved the turning point in his round Friday and his week at The Players Championship. Fowler’s ball landed in the 40-foot tree and never came down, prompting a penalty stroke that sent him back to the tee box and left him clearly flustered.

With three birdies in five holes to start his back nine, the 2015 Players champion was making a move up the leaderboard and providing some rare highlights from a mega grouping that featured fan favorites Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

But Fowler’s unfavorable landing spot led to the first of consecutive double bogeys, leading to a 1-under 71 on the Stadium Course..

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Charl Schwartzel and Patrick Cantlay have set the early target at The Players Championship.

Schwartzel never came close to bogey in his round of 6-under 66 on Friday, another day of warm weather and good scoring conditions at the TPC Sawgrass. Cantlay was efficient as ever except for one bad break that cost him a shot on the par-5 ninth. He had a 68.

They were at 10-under 134, one shot ahead of Chesson Hadley (69) and two clear over Jason Day (67), Steve Stricker (69) and Xander Schauffele (68).

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Tiger Woods was hopeful he would be around for the weekend. He rarely got it close with wedges and shot 71. Woods was just inside the cut with half the field playing in the afternoon.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) Webb Simpson didn’t miss anything except the island green at the TPC Sawgrass.

Simpson was on the verge of shattering the course record at The Players Championship until he hit a sand wedge into the water on the notorious par-3 17th. He settled for a 9-under 63 to tie the course record, giving him a five-shot lead going into the weekend.

Simpson was the seventh player to shoot 63, the last five since 2013.

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He was at 15-under 129, tying the 36-hole tournament record set by Jason Day two years ago.

Charl Schwartzel (66), Patrick Cantlay (68) and Danny Lee (66) were five behind.

AGRIGENTO, Sicily (AP) Julien Guerrier of France and Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark shared a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Sicilian Open on Friday.

Guerrier is the only player in the field yet to drop a shot after adding a 65 to his opening 68 to be 9-under-par, a total later matched by joint overnight leader Bjerregaard, who returned a 68 in windy conditions.

Ryan Evans, who was the other overnight leader, had four bogeys in a round of 69 to slip a shot behind the top two.

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English compatriot Steven Brown was level.

French golfer Mike Lorenzo-Vera was another stroke back after a superb 64, the lowest score of the week at Verdura Golf Club.

Guerrier regained his playing privileges via the Challenge Tour last season and is already on course for his best season on the European Tour.

”I made no bogeys so, in these conditions, in two rounds, to make no bogeys is really good,” Guerrier said. ”I come from La Rochelle where it’s very windy so I th..

SCIACCA, Sicily (AP) Julien Guerrier of France and Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark had a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Sicilian Open on Friday.

Guerrier was the only player in the field yet to drop a shot after adding a 65 to his opening 68 to be 9-under-133, a total later matched by joint overnight leader Bjerregaard, who had a 68 in windy conditions.

Ryan Evans, who was the other overnight leader, had four bogeys in a round of 69 to slip a shot behind the top two.

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French golfer Mike Lorenzo-Vera was another stroke back after a 64, the lowest score of the week at Verdura Golf Club.

Guerrier regained his playing privileges via the Challenge Tour last season and is already on course for his best season on the European Tour.

”I made no bogeys so, in these conditions, in two rounds, to make no bogeys is really good,” Guerrier said. ”I come from La Rochelle where it’s very windy, so I think it helped me a lot.”