Golf: Tiger Woods lost further ground on the leaders after threatening to make a move in the right direction when the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational began in Akron today.

Already down in 38th place when he resumed his first event since mid-May, Woods birdied the second and fifth holes, but then had his second double bogey of the week on the 469-yard sixth.

This time he went from the left rough into a greenside bunker and then did not even make the putting surface with his next shot.

An even worse drive down the eighth led to another dropped shot and he turned in a one-over 36. A bogey at the 10th dropped him to 50th in the 76-man field.

All that could be said really was that he was faring better than last year. After winning on seven of his previous nine trips to Firestone he was joint 78th out of 80.

He was still ahead of some notable players this time, however. Pádraig Harringtonfinished six over, Graeme McDowellnine over and both Open champion Darren Clarkeand Ian Poulter 12 over.

At least Paul Casey gave his confidence a much-needed boost ahead of this coming week's USPGA Championship in Atlanta. A 67 lifted him to two over.

Other Europeans still had title hopes. Scotland's Martin Laird was only two behind Australian leader Adam Scott on 10 under, world number one Luke Donald one further back and US Open champion Rory McIlroyseven under until he bogeyed his first having started at 6.20pm.

Lee Westwood looked too far back at four under and stayed that way after missing a birdie chance of under six feet at the first.

Australian Adam Scott leads by one and was due on the course at 7pm (Irish time) alongside Japan's Ryo Ishikawa.