Tiger Woods maintains 3-shot lead in Chevron World Challenge

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A chip-in birdie from off the green helped Tiger Woods maintain a three-shot lead over Hunter Mahan early in Saturday’s third round of the Chevron World Challenge.

After going birdie-bogey-par on the first three holes at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Woods was just off the green in the rough on the par-four fourth when his chip rolled into the cup, lifting him to nine under par for the event.

Mahan made birdies on No. 2 and No. 5 to reach six under par, and Matt Kuchar was five under.

After a morning in which frost covered much of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, the 18-player field again battled unpredictable bursts of gusty winds on a chilly day.

Woods, seeking his first win in two years, attacked on the opening hole, hitting his second shot on the par-four first to within three feet of the cup and making the birdie putt. But then he made bogey six on the second hole, a par five he had eagled the previous day.

Meanwhile, some other contenders promptly fell back.

First-round leader K.J. Choi bogeyed the first hole, then the South Korean made double bogey on the second hole to drop to two under par.

Rickie Fowler of Murrietta was four under when he found disaster on the par-three third hole. His tee shot went way left, he chipped over the green into a bunker and eventually made a triple-bogey six to drop to one under.

--Jim Peltz