NASSAU, Bahamas — The thought was tantalizing, and it felt like a familiar scenario was about to play out.
Tiger Woods was charging again. On a Saturday. Mixing it up with the best players in the world.
Could it be possible, after more than 15 months away from tournament competition with multiple back surgeries, Woods would contend to win in his first tournament back?
Well, when he holed out for birdie from a greenside bunker on the fifth hole at Albany Golf Club on Saturday, Woods was 10-under and two shots out of the lead in the third round of the Hero World Challenge.
Though this is a lightly attended tournament compared to the regular PGA Tour events in which Woods plays, there was a roar from the crowd surrounding the green. And there was Woods, raising his right hand in the air with his right index finger signifying “No. 1.’’
“We heard a roar on No. 5 and we thought from a long putt or a chip-in or something,’’ Jordan Spieth said. “We were on No. 4 and looked up at the board and they flipped the 4 [under-par next to Woods’ name] and I thought, ‘All right.’ In these windy conditions, to be 4- or 5-under par, that’s as low as anybody’s going.’’
Just three players in the field — including runaway leader Hideki Matsuyama, who at 19-under leads by seven shots — shot scores of 5-under or better in Saturday’s windy conditions. Matsuyama shot 65.
Alas, Woods could not sustain the magic of four birdies on his first five holes, and — as he did Thursday — faltered late with a sloppy double bogey on 18 to shoot 70 and stand at 8-under.
“It’s certainly there,’’ Spieth said of Woods’ game. “If he wasn’t rusty, he’d be winning this tournament.’’
Guessing what Woods was going to shoot Saturday was a hot-button topic a night earlier after he posted a bogey-free 7-under 65 in the second round.
Though the local casinos on the island don’t set odds on golf, amateur oddsmakers among some journalists covering the tournament set a consensus over/under at 3-under 69 for Woods.
The way Woods started his round, it looked like he might shatter the “under’’ and never look back. Then came the back nine, where — like Thursday — Woods stumbled, losing grip of his putting touch and his driving accuracy.
Despite failing to finish the good round, Woods sounded delighted with the balance of the 54 holes he has played so far this week.
“I’m very pleased to be back and to be able to compete at this level again,’’ he said. “It’s been a very, very difficult road. You guys [reporters] were all here last year and I did not feel very good. I was really, really struggling and I struggled for a very long time. I worked with my physios and had to be very patient and was finally able to start building, and here we are.’’
Rickie Fowler, who was paired with Woods on Saturday and shot 68, said he wasn’t surprised to see Woods perform so well.
“It’s been impressive to see where he was prior to the Ryder Cup playing and practice-wise to now,’’ Fowler said. “The quality of golf kept improving. It’s been impressive to see what he’s put together this week, that progress he has made, the speed that he has gained the last couple of months.’’
Much like he did Friday, Woods split the fairway with his tee shot on the first hole, leaving himself a comfortable short wedge in, which he hit to three feet for his first birdie of the day.
He stuffed his iron shot on the 179-yard par-3 second hole to inside of six feet and birdied again.
On No. 3, the first of three par-5s on the front nine, Woods hit his third shot — a pitch from just in front of the green — to within two feet of the flag, setting up a third consecutive birdie out of the box and getting him to 9-under.
After a conventional par on No. 4, Woods delivered the dramatics on the par-3 fifth to get to 10-under and two shots out of the lead at the time.
“I probably couldn’t get off to a better start than I did,’’ Woods said.
It was a good start to his Saturday round and — more importantly — in the big picture, it has been a good start to Woods’ comeback, too.