Tiger Woods: Why Tiger Needs a Strong Round 3 Performance to Prove He's Back

It has been a long road back from injury and embarrassment for Tiger Woods, but a strong performance during Round 3 of the British Open will prove that he is ready to resume his dominance.

Woods has not been impressive in his last three appearances at a major. He missed the cut at the 2011 PGA Championship, finished tied for 40^th at the 2012 Masters and tied for 21^st after starting strong at the U.S. Open.

He raised excitement during last month’s major in San Francisco when he ended Round 2 tied for the lead. But he shot five over par in the next round was three shots over on Sunday, causing him to plummet down the leaderboard.

This time around, Woods must prove he can perform well through the weekend.

His finish on Day 2 at Royal Lytham and St. Annes suggests that he is ready to continue his success on Saturday. 

Woods was stuck in a green-side bunker on his third shot on the 18^th and final hole. He chipped the ball in from the sand to birdie the hole and finish at six under, in sole possession of third place. 

Woods is four strokes behind Brandt Snedeker, who finished the first two rounds at -10. This is not an insurmountable lead, but it will be difficult to make up that ground in one day, especially with Snedeker playing at such a high level.

If Woods lays an egg in Round 3, then it will be impossible to recover on Sunday. He must continue to play well to keep pace with an extremely competitive field.

However, a solid performance during the next 18 holes will put him in perfect position to show that he is back to his old form.

Woods made a reputation throughout his career for being a cold-blooded killer on Sundays; and if he is within striking distance of the Scott, Snedeker or anyone else, his competitive fire will show.

With the “Old Tiger,” the script would be fairly predictable at this point in the competition. Woods would climb closer to Snedeker on Saturday and finish him off on Sunday to win the tournament.

But the lethal golfer who reigned with unprecedented dominance has not been on the course at the last few majors, and right now, spectators are not sure if he is at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. 

However, if Woods continues to play well on Saturday, it will be a telling sign that he is ready to return to his old form and assume his position as the best golfer in the world once again.