MELBOURNE (Reuters) — An out-of-sorts Tiger Woods battled to a share of the lead after the third round of the Australian Masters on Saturday, as his rivals failed to capitalize on an off day for the world number one.

Woods, who held a three-stroke lead going into the third day, seemed set to charge on after draining a monster birdie putt on the par-four second.

However, he bogeyed the third and 11th on the way to an even par 72, finishing joint leader with Australia’s Greg Chalmers and James Nitties with a 206 total.  Woods got his other birdie of the day at the par-five 14th.

“I was very fortunate, somehow I found a way to shoot even par today because it certainly should have been a lot worse than that,” Woods said.

“It was a bad warm-up today, I didn’t hit the ball very good on the range and the golf course wasn’t very good either.

The leaders hold a two-stroke lead over Australia's Cameron Percy and Woods's playing partner, Jason Dufner of the United States, at the A$1.5-million ($1.4 million) co-sanctioned event.

New Zealander Tim Wilkinson and Francois Delamontagne trailed by a further stroke.

After struggling with his driver on Friday, Woods again battled with his tee-shots in the third round, the American finding bunkers on the sixth and eighth, and the fairway of the 10th when he was playing the ninth.

However, the 14-times major champion was saved by his putter, draining a 20-foot par putt on the par-three eighth.