Sun, Sep 22, 2013 page18

• Stenson surges and Tiger struggles at US PGA finale

  ‘OUT OF GAS’: Henrik Stenson stretched his lead to four shots, while Tiger Woods started with a charge at the lead, but collapsed in the finish, blaming fatigue

  • AFP, ATLANTA, Georgia
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  Sweden’s Henrik Stenson birdied three of the first four holes and stretched his lead to four shots on Friday at the season-ending US PGA Tour Championship, while weary Tiger Woods struggled again.

  Stenson, playing with one club under the limit, fired a four-under-par 66 in the second round to finish 36 holes on 10-under 130 with reigning Masters champion Adam Scott next on 134. The Australian has started the day only one stroke adrift of Stenson.

  Both players are among the five who can capture the US$10 million playoff bonus prize with a victory in the US$8 million tournament.

  

  Henrik Stenson of Sweden hits out of a sand trap on the 15th green during the second round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday.

  Photo: EPA

  American Jordan Spieth, who has been a tour player for barely two months, was third on 135 with US Open champion Justin Rose of England and Americans Billy Horschel and Dustin Johnson on 136.

  World No. 1 Woods, a 14-time major winner seeking his third playoff crown who could also win the bonus by winning the title, made a charge at the lead, but a nightmare finish dropped him 14 shots off the pace after 36 holes.

  After the round, Stenson said that he played the second round with only 13 clubs, one shy of the limit after damaging his four-wood on the practice range.

  “The face caved in on my four-wood on the range, so I put it in the locker and played with 13 clubs,” Stenson said.

  Stenson said he would try to have a new four-wood in time for a morning start to yesterday’s third round, moved earlier because of expected storms in the afternoon.

  However, he also said: “The safest play might be to try to get the job done with 13 clubs.”

  Had Stenson carried the non-conforming club, he would have had to accept a two-stroke penalty. Had he used such a club, he would have been disqualified. Fortunately for the Swede, making his Tour Championship debut, he did neither.

  Stenson opened with two birdies, added another at the third and closed the front nine with another.

  He began the back nine with his lone bogey of the round, but pulled back a stroke with a birdie at the 16th hole.

  Scott opened with a bogey, took another at the fourth after a birdie on the third hole, but matched Stenson with birdies at the ninth and 16th holes.

  Woods opened Thursday with a 73 to stand next-to-last in the field of 30, the worst start for a top seed in the seven-year PGA playoff history, and he ended a birdie drought with his first of the event at the third hole.

  “It was nice to finally make a birdie after 21 holes,” Woods said. “I missed everything on the high side. The greens were much slower than I thought they would be. Today, they were quicker starting out. I took that into account. I got on lower lines. It ended up working. I made some putts. Hopefully in the next couple of days I can shoot some good rounds.”

  Woods closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies and had two more at 12 and 13 to pull within four strokes of the lead, but took a double bogey at the 14th, a bogey at the 16th and a triple bogey at the 17th when he found water off the tee, a collapse to a one-over 71 he blamed on fatigue.

  “I put everything I had into that start. Didn’t have much at the end. I just ran out of gas,” Woods said. “I’m tired. It has been just a long grind. Duff [PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner] and I were talking about it. We’re all looking forward to that week off. Everybody out here has some little injury. I’m still in contention. You never know. You have got to keep plugging along. This is not a sprint. It’s four rounds of golf. It’s a marathon.”

  Woods blamed a playoff schedule that has forced the US PGA’s top players to compete in four of the past five weeks and six weeks out of eight since the start of last month.

  “We play a lot of golf from the British Open on,” Woods said. “Some of the years when I have been worn out are when I have been in contention a lot.”
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