Miami: Tiger Woods fired a four-under-par 68 to remain in contention in his comeback event at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas on Friday.

The 41-year-old superstar, playing his first tournament in nearly 10 months, vaulted up the leaderboard at the Albany Golf Club with a blistering front nine.

The 14-time-major champion was five-under for the day after posting three birdies and an eagle before the turn to go eight-under for the tournament.

However Woods’ momentum faltered on the back nine, where two bogeys saw him eventually finish the day at seven-under.

Woods has plenty of ground to make up over the weekend, however, with leader Charley Hoffman producing a stunning nine-under-par 63 to move to 12-under.

“I think it was successful because I shot 31 on the front nine,” Woods told reporters afterwards. “I built upon what I did yesterday. I cleaned it up.

“The only thing I struggled with was the speed of the greens. They seemed to be a foot faster.”

Woods added that he was satisfied with his fitness following spinal fusion surgery on his back in April.

‘Just getting back’

“I’m just getting back. I’ve still got a long way to go,” added Woods, who also missed the entire 2015-2016 season.

“I felt like today I could have easily got to double digits under par. That would have put me one or two back. But I think I’m still in it.

“It’s supposed to blow a little bit harder tomorrow -- if that’s the case I think a good solid round should get me up there.”

After a solid first round 69 on Thursday, Woods got off to a flying start on Friday, reeling off three birdies in the opening four holes.

His first birdie came on the first. On the par-five third his eagle putt from just off the green went just wide but left him with an easy birdie. A further birdie came on the fourth, after another superb approach shot.

It got better on the par-five ninth when he made the green in two before rolling in a 15-foot eagle putt to put him into the lead at eight under.

A further birdie on the 11th put Woods at six under for the day, nine under overall but a bogey on 12 checked his progress.

Five more pars followed but on the 18th Woods’ tee-shot found the sand bordering the fairway, forcing him to hack out and leaving him with a difficult up and down to save par, which he duly failed.

Tournament leader Hoffman meanwhile tore up the course with 12 birdies and three bogeys on his way to his 63.

Hoffman leads by three shots from Jordan Spieth, who carded a five-under-par 67 to move to nine under, alongside England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who carded a 69.

Justin Rose is alone on eight under, four off the lead, while Woods was joined on seven under by Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Italy’s Francesco Molinari and Americans Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler.

Zunic in lead

Little-known Australian Jordan Zunic fired a superb eight-under-par round of 64 to surge to a three-shot lead after the third round of the Australian PGA golf championship on Saturday.

The 25-year-old New South Welshman was in sublime touch around the Royal Pines Resort course on Queensland’s Gold Coast and was 11-under the card after 16 holes.

However, he bogeyed the 17th before a double bogey on the difficult 18th saw him finish the day 17 under the card, three shots ahead of fellow Australian Cameron Smith.

Adam Bland, who shared the overnight lead with Marc Leishman, was a shot further back on 13-under.

The in-form Leishman, who many expected to run away with the tournament, had a disappointing two-over 74 to be on 10-under, alongside David Bransdon.

De Jager, Atwal lead

South Africa’s Louis de Jager joined overnight leader Arjun Atwal of India at the top of the leaderboard after the Mauritius Open third round on Saturday and the pair will take a one-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the European Tour event in Domaine del Bel Ombre.

The 30-year-old De Jager, seeking a first European Tour success, hit four birdies in a blemish-free 67 to join Atwal on 13 under par after 54 holes.

The Indian had carded a course-record 62 in Thursday’s first round not long after completing a 16-hour journey to Mauritius and shot 68 in the third round.

Dylan Frittelli of South Africa and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines were a stroke back in third place.

Agencies