Tiger Woods recorded his best finish in a full-field PGA Tour event since August 2015 at the Farmers Insurance Open.

The former world No1 had only completed four competitive rounds in the invitational Hero World Challenge – an event with no cut – since undergoing back surgery three times.

The 14-time major winner carded four birdies and four bogeys in a closing 72 for a three under par total at Torrey Pines, leaving him inside the top 30 – his best finish since tying for 10th at the Wyndham Championship three years ago.

Starting on the back nine, Woods was denied a first birdie of the day on the 13th when a spectator yelled during his backswing, visibly distracting the American, who missed the subsequent putt.

some idiot just yelled in Tiger's backswing. Totally ridiculous. Uncalled for. pic.twitter.com/HA7fbWD393 — Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) January 28, 2018

However, Woods converted from 12 feet at the next and added further gains at the 16th and 18th – although wayward drives on the 15th and 17th led to dropped shots.

Woods hit fewer than a third of fairways over the week and after briefly reaching five under for the week with a birdie on the second, leaked tee shots to the right on the fifth and seventh saw him bogey both holes.

Afterwards Woods told the PGA Tour website: “I played a lot better today. It was tough conditions out there, it was tough scoring. I wanted to shoot something around 65; I thought that might be a play-off number. I was trying to post early and see what might happen.”

Asked to grade his week’s work, Woods added: “Very pleased, after not playing for a couple of years and coming out here on the tour and playing a solid four days. I fought hard for these scores, they weren’t drive down the middle, hit it on the green and two-putt. This was a lot of putting.”