Woods opens four-shot lead during third round at Tour Championship

(Reuters) - Tiger Woods charged to a four-stroke lead halfway through the third round at the Tour Championship on Saturday amid scenes reminiscent of his halcyon days.

After starting the day tied for the lead with Justin Rose, 14-times major champion Woods putted brilliantly to record six birdies in the first seven holes at East Lake in Atlanta.

However, he subsequently bogeyed the ninth after a poor tee shot and completed the front nine in 30 strokes.

He turned at 12 under par, while world number one Rose was a distant second on eight under.

Woods, whose 79 PGA Tour victories leaves him three short of the record held by Sam Snead, has not won since 2013.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Pritha Sarkar)