Tiger Woods came up short again in his quest to end a two-year tournament drought with his third placing behind two-time Australian Open winner Greg Chalmers at The Lakes yesterday.

The former world number one, whose barren run has left him outside the top 50 rankings for the first time in 15 years, put himself into a winning position for the first time since the Augusta Masters last April.

But despite an eagle three at the 14th and a birdie at the 17th he could not overhaul the 215th-ranked Chalmers, who beat compatriot John Senden by one shot with Woods a further stroke away.

The 14-time major winner, who last won at the 2009 Australian Masters, finished with a five-under 67 for a four-round total of 11-under 277.

Woods, who will play with a formidable US team against the Internationals in the upcoming Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, was encouraged in only his fifth tournament since the Masters after left knee ligament and Achilles injuries.

“I kept telling myself that I needed to post 13 or 14 under to get up there and to see what happened but unfortunately I didn’t post the number I needed,” he said.

Woods, whose pulling power was again indicative of the total 67,000 crowd over the four days of the Australian Open, is relishing feeling fit again.

“It’s nice to feel healthy again, it’s been such a long time,” he said.