<p class="title">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However Woods' momentum faltered on the back nine, where two bogeys saw him eventually finish the day at seven-under.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Yet Woods was satisfied with another solid day of tournament golf after spending most of the past two years sidelined with a debilitating back injury.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The only thing I struggled with was the speed of the greens. They seemed to be a foot faster."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His first birdie came on the first when a 96-yard approach shot landed five feet from the hole for a simple birdie putt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the par-five third his eagle putt from just off the green went just wide but left him with an easy birdie.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A further birdie came on the fourth, after another superb approach shot.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tournament leader Hoffman meanwhile tore up the course with 12 birdies and three bogeys on his way to his 63.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hoffman said he was delighted to see Woods back in contention.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's nice to see again," Hoffman said. "It's pretty special to be out here and see Tiger making eagles and birdies and hopefully be in contention on Sunday."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Scores (after 72 holes, USA unless stated): 132: Charley Hoffman (69, 63); 135L: Jordan Spieth (68, 67); Tommy Fleetwood (Eng, 66, 69); 136: Justin Rose (Eng, 68, 68); 137: Hideki Matsuyama (Jap, 71, 66), Tiger Woods (69, 68); Francesco Molinari (Ita, 69, 68), Matt Kuchar (67, 70), Rickie Fowler (67, 70).</p>
<p class="title">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However Woods' momentum faltered on the back nine, where two bogeys saw him eventually finish the day at seven-under.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Yet Woods was satisfied with another solid day of tournament golf after spending most of the past two years sidelined with a debilitating back injury.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The only thing I struggled with was the speed of the greens. They seemed to be a foot faster."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">His first birdie came on the first when a 96-yard approach shot landed five feet from the hole for a simple birdie putt.</p>.<p class="bodytext">On the par-five third his eagle putt from just off the green went just wide but left him with an easy birdie.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A further birdie came on the fourth, after another superb approach shot.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Tournament leader Hoffman meanwhile tore up the course with 12 birdies and three bogeys on his way to his 63.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Hoffman said he was delighted to see Woods back in contention.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"It's nice to see again," Hoffman said. "It's pretty special to be out here and see Tiger making eagles and birdies and hopefully be in contention on Sunday."</p>.<p class="bodytext">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.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Scores (after 72 holes, USA unless stated): 132: Charley Hoffman (69, 63); 135L: Jordan Spieth (68, 67); Tommy Fleetwood (Eng, 66, 69); 136: Justin Rose (Eng, 68, 68); 137: Hideki Matsuyama (Jap, 71, 66), Tiger Woods (69, 68); Francesco Molinari (Ita, 69, 68), Matt Kuchar (67, 70), Rickie Fowler (67, 70).</p>