Tiger Woods stumbles badly at 13th hole, McDowell leads Chevron World Challenge

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Tiger Woods’ hopes for winning his first tournament this year took a huge blow at the 13th hole Sunday when he made a double-bogey seven and dropped two shots behind Graeme McDowell in the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks.

Woods started the round with a four-shot lead at 17 under par but made bogeys on two of the first three holes while McDowell made three birdies on the front nine.

Then, on the par-five 13th -- with Woods clinging to a one-shot lead -- Woods’ game fell apart as a light rain began falling.

His third shot landed in the deep rough left of the green, and his pitch went past the pin and off the green again. He chipped back on and two putted, with the last putt lipping out of the cup.

McDowell, meanwhile, reached the 13th green in two shots and the U.S. Open champion two-putted for a birdie to go 17 under par for the tournament with five holes to play.

Woods had led after each of the first three rounds, and he has never lost a tournament in which he entered the final round with a lead of three shots or more.

Paul Casey was the next closest pursuer but trailed McDowell by five shots at 12 under par.

-- Jim Peltz