Dubai: Jyoti Randhawa moved into the top 10 with a brilliant six-under 66 that included seven birdies and one bogey in the third round of the Dubai Desert Classic at the Majlis course on the Emirates Golf Club.
The Indian ace, tied 28th overnight, jumped up to be tied 10th and was poised to better his last year's tied 11th place.
Randhawa, sixth in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago, had pulled out of Qatar Masters last week after playing three days in severe pain because of a rib injury sustained on account of a bike accident in a desert safari.
In Dubai on the third day, he showed that he had recovered well with the day's best score, also equalled by Englishman Simon Dyson, the Asian Tour No 1 in 2000, and the Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez.
While Randhawa, Asia No 1 in 2002, was making his move towards a good finish, Tiger Woods put himself in the ideal position to end his desert drought and win for the first time in this part of the world.
Woods, who shot a 67 to move to 16-under shares the lead with Dane Andres Hansen, has won pro titles in 10 countries in the world and if he does it in Dubai, it will become the 11th.
Overnight leader Retief Goosen (70) dropped bogeys on the 15th and 16th to fall to third place after having been a leader by two at one stage.
Randhawa opened sedately with two pars and then exploded with four birdies in a row from third to sixth and then turned in four-under.
Randhawa added two more birdies on the 11th and 13th and also missed a short putt for another birdie.
His only blemish for the day came on the par-3 15th, but he made up with a birdie on the 17th.
Randhawa is tied with Qatar Masters champion Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Paul Broadhurst of England, while one shot of them were Peter Lawrie and Bradley Dregde.
In the seventh place was Nick Dougherty who shot up with birdies on his last three holes.
Randhawa had a great day with both the irons and the putter. He managed 50 per cent of the fairways, but then pulled himself back with some great iron play reaching 14 greens in regulation.
On each of the four occasions that he missed the greens, he scrambled well enough to get his par.
There was just one three putt through the day and that was his first three putt in three rounds and he had 11 single putts, three more on the first two days.
Defending champion Ernie Els brought himself back into contention with a four-under 68 with two birdies on the last two holes and that put him at 14-under and two off the lead.
He was tied fourth with Richard Green and Jimenez.
Woods after a calm front nine, over which he had just one birdie and one bogey, found his putter doing his bidding.
He slotted four birdies, including one on the 18th, where he hit his second shot into the grandstand and got a drop in the free zone, from where he chip-putted for a birdie.
Among other Asian Tour players, Thongchai Jaidee was lying tied 34th with a third round of 69, while Ross Bain slipped from overnight 19th to 66th with a 78.
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