Tiger Woods tees off during Round Three of the AT&T National at Congressional Country Club on Saturday in Maryland. PIC/AFP

Overnight leader Hunter Mahan could only manage a two-over 73 to finish the day five under in joint fifth, alongside Billy Hurley III who carded a best-of-the-day 66.

Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela was on his own on four under. Woods was bogey-free for his round, which included birdies at the first, third, sixth and 10th, and he used only five putts over the first six holes.

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The unusual conditions did not seem to adversely affect Woods, but Van Pelt joked: “I told Tiger that was a Bo Van Pelt crowd, so I was used to that. I was very comfortable with 10 or 15 people watching me play golf.”

Zimbabwean De Jonge, who birdied the second, sixth and 12th, could have had a two-stroke lead but for a bogey on 14. Defending champion Nick Watney was two under to sit five off the pace, one ahead of England’s Greg Owen who went round in 67 yesterday.