Tiger Woods 2 behind leader Jason Gore after Wyndham 3rd round

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Sunday, August 23, 2015

GREENSBORO, N.C. --Tiger Woods was unable to maintain a share of the lead Saturday, but he will nonetheless be in position Sunday to win his first PGA Tour event in more than two years at the Wyndham Championship.

Woods, who shared the 36-hole lead with rookie Tom Hoge, shot 2-under-par 68 at Sedgefield Country Club on Saturday to finish 2 strokes back of Jason Gore, who shot 62.

"I need to go out there tomorrow and make a run and get myself up there and make some birdies," Woods said. "There's a bunch of guys ... at 13 [under]. There's a whole slew of guys at 12, 11, 10 [under]. Anybody can make a run and shoot the score Jason and Jonas [Blixt] did."

Gore's lone PGA Tour victory came 10 years ago. Woods will be in the second-to-last pairing Sunday.

Blixt, who has two PGA Tour victories but is fighting to maintain his exempt status for next season, also shot 62 and is tied with Woods at 13 under along with Scott Brown.

"A win will take care of that," said Blixt, who will join Gore in the final pairing Sunday. "Shoot another 62, I should have a good chance."

Former Wyndham winners Webb Simpson (64) and Brandt Snedeker (67) each were three strokes back along with Paul Casey (66), Jim Herman (66) and Cameron Percy (67).

Playing before a raucous gallery that seemed to be only on the holes he played, Woods got things started with a birdie at No. 1 and for a time had the outright lead. He also birdied the par-5 fifth but then went 10 straight holes with pars -- holing a 25-footer to save par at the 10th -- before a birdie at the par-3 16th.

"The putter just felt really good. My pace, I felt like I could be aggressive," Woods said. "I took a few runs at putts and ripped them past the hole, but I never felt like I was going to miss any of them. I took a rip at them. Some I made, some I didn't."

Hisstreak of 28 holes without a bogey ended on the 18th when his 6-foot par putt lipped out.

Woods had several birdie opportunities that did not drop, but he also managed to make several good par saves.

"I think it's awesome to see him playing well again, to see him playing like Tiger Woods," Gore said, "because that's what we all want to see."

No. 166 on the points list, Gore put himself in position for his second career win on tour and his first since the 84 Lumber Classic in 2005. He has just 15 top-10 finishes in the past decade.

"Contrary to popular belief," Gore quipped, "I'm still a good golfer."

Playing in just his 11th event of the year, Woods is bidding to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Current projections show that Woods would have to win to make it to the Barclays next week. He can do no worse than a solo second-place finish to have a chance.

For the first time this year, Woods has shot three consecutive rounds in the 60s.

ESPN senior golf writer Bob Harig and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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