Tiger Woods will not win the CA Championship, but his comeback is on track judging by his third round on Saturday in the World Golf Championships event.
He tamed a testing breeze to hit all but three greens in regulation on his way to a steady four-under-par 68 at Doral's Blue Monster.
"I hit it great today," said Woods, who is playing just his second event since undergoing major knee surgery last June.
"I hit it the best I've hit it in a long time. Granted, I haven't played in a long time, but still.
"I have not controlled the ball that well in a very long time. I was hitting shots that I had not been able to hit before, which was such a great feeling. Unfortunately, I'm just not making any putts."
Apart from a bogey at the par-four 17th, where his second shot from a fairway bunker caught the lip, he did not have a blemish on his card, posting a seven-under 209 total with one round left.
As much as he wants to win every time he tees it up, Woods' main priority is to regain his competitive edge in time for next month's Masters.
In that respect, this WGC event seems to be going according to plan.
{{/usCountry}}In that respect, this WGC event seems to be going according to plan.
{{/usCountry}}"I'm getting better each day," the 14-time major champion said. "The feel of playing again at this level is coming back. Ball-striking wise, I'm very happy with how things are progressing."