Woods hits trouble at Sawgrass

Tiger Woods was involved in damage limitation at the Players Championship by taking 40 to the turn in his final round at Sawgrass on Sunday.

Woods was already 10 behind fellow American Kevin Na when he resumed, but then had a double bogey, three bogeys and a lone birdie over the front nine to drop to two over par.

The 40 was only two strokes better than Woods' start to golf's richest event last year when he limped through the outward half before quitting.

The double bogey came when he pitched into the water on the fourth and by the time he started for home he was down in 55th place.

Justin Rose pitched in for eagle on the 12th and then had another on the long 16th, but that came from even further down the field than Woods.

A closing bogey for 71 left Rose alongside Woods and also Lee Westwood, who had needed to win to go back to world number one, but who was three over for the day with six to play.

With Rory McIlroy missing the halfway cut, Luke Donald needed a top-four finish to grab the top spot back, but that was looking a long shot after he followed a birdie on the second with a bogey at the fourth to be in a tie for 28th on three under.

Westwood had a horror run from the 12th. He double-bogeyed there and bogeyed the next three to drop all the way to five over before making birdie at the long 16th.

His interest in the event was over, but Scot Martin Laird's was very much alive when he chipped dead on the long second and moved to joint fourth on seven under.

Alongside him was American David Toms, who last year lost a play-off to KJ Choi. Only level par and joint 48th at the start, Toms produced a joint best-of-the-week 65 to set the clubhouse target.

Everyone was eager to see how nervous world number 56 Na would be given his twitchiness on the tee in his third round, but he went two ahead when playing partner Matt Kuchar three-putted the opening green and then three ahead with a chip to three feet on the long second.

Westwood signed for a 77, but Donald started the back nine with a hat-trick of birdies and while winning from six under was a long shot, a top-four finish to go back to world number one remained a distinct possibility.

He was still not the leading European, however. Laird remained seven under after five and Londoner Brian Davis joined him in fifth place with a 25-foot putt at the third.