Henrik Stenson races out to 63, two-shot
leader at US Tour Championship
Henrik Stenson during practice
(
Getty Images
)
ATLANTA – The curtain rose Thursday at East Lake Golf Club in the
opening round of the Tour Championship, and Henrik Stenson had a goal.
He wanted to break from the gates as fast as he could. A
birdie-birdie-birdie start and a front-nine, 6-under 29 certainly
checked off that box.
“That’s what I was looking for,” Stenson said, “and I got it.”
He was too consumed in the moment to start thinking about shooting golf’s magic number – 59 – at one of the game’s biggest events, but surely others were thinking about it. Some light drizzle hit in the midst of his back nine with Stenson 8 under through 12 on the par-70 track, and his game would cool over the final holes, which included a dropped shot at the par-4 17th. But his overall work for the day was shining: a 7-under 63 that delivered a two-shot cushion over Paul Casey.
“Unfortunately, dropped one coming in, but that’s not going to spoil the positive vibes and the great round I played,” Stenson said.
Stenson, 39, who enters this week fourth in the race for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bounty, is one of five players who can capture the playoffs by winning the Tour Championship.
The others: Jordan Spieth, who shot 68; Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, who opened with 69; and Bubba Watson (70).
Stenson hasn’t won this season, but he is the only player among the top 5 who truly knows what it takes to win the FedEx Cup. Stenson did that two years ago, also capturing the Tour Championship, and Thursday his round seemed a mix of present brilliance and good memories to call upon.
In ’13, Stenson also got out to a hot start, shooting 64 on Day 1 to take control. He never left the top of the leaderboard, eventually winning with a total of 13-under 267. He could join Tiger Woods on Sunday as only the second player to win multiple FedEx Cups.
Day, who has won four of his last six starts, including a pair of six-shot victories in the playoffs, got off to a terrific start, too, making birdies on his first three holes. The rest of the field had to be glancing at on-course leaderboards wondering if Day is man or machine. But he blocked a driver right and out of bounds on the par-4 fifth hole, leading to a triple-bogey, the first sign he’s given since mid-summer that he’s actually mortal.
“Unfortunately, as humans, we’re going to make some errors,” Day said.
Day said the tee shot on 5 was one of two he’d like to have over, the second being another poor tee shot that led him to punch out from the trees en route to bogey-5 at the 16th.
“To make triple was pretty disappointing, but it’s early on in the tournament, so I can’t dwell on that,” said Day, who on Monday rose to World No. 1.
Rory McIlroy, world No. 2, started slowly but made six birdies in his final 12 holes to shoot 66. Spieth, ranked third in the world, said he had trouble squaring his clubface, and termed his opening 68 “boring.” But he was encouraged by his improved putting, showing better speed control on the greens. It’s something he said that he can build upon.
“Today was definitely an off-day,” Spieth said, “slightly off with both (ballstriking and putting), and I was able to get in at 2 under. This was a round that earlier in the playoffs was a 4-over round. And so I really improved my consistency, even on my misses. And that gives me confidence.”
Nobody played with more confidence than Stenson, who once again pounded the strong 3-wood he carries (12.5 degrees) off the tees and kept the headcover on his driver.
The highlight of his round came on the 600-yard ninth, where he hit 3-wood, 4-wood to 25 feet and curled in a right-to-left putt for eagle.
When Stenson won in 2013 (his only other start at East Lake), he hit only seven drivers all week. On Thursday, he hit none. That’s how pivotal it is to stay out of East Lake’s sticky Bermuda rough. Stenson hit 11 fairways and 13 greens, and with 25 putts, said “the putter was behaving good.”
Mathematically, Stenson can actually win the FedEx Cup this week without recording a single victory this season. But he knows if he can win at East Lake, it simplifies all scenarios and calculations.
“If I were to finish second and win the FedEx Cup, I’m pretty sure I’ll be smiling on Sunday,” Stenson said. “I’ll be smiling more if I got two trophies, but I’ll deal with one as well.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
par 70
“That’s what I was looking for,” Stenson said, “and I got it.”
He was too consumed in the moment to start thinking about shooting golf’s magic number – 59 – at one of the game’s biggest events, but surely others were thinking about it. Some light drizzle hit in the midst of his back nine with Stenson 8 under through 12 on the par-70 track, and his game would cool over the final holes, which included a dropped shot at the par-4 17th. But his overall work for the day was shining: a 7-under 63 that delivered a two-shot cushion over Paul Casey.
“Unfortunately, dropped one coming in, but that’s not going to spoil the positive vibes and the great round I played,” Stenson said.
Stenson, 39, who enters this week fourth in the race for the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bounty, is one of five players who can capture the playoffs by winning the Tour Championship.
The others: Jordan Spieth, who shot 68; Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, who opened with 69; and Bubba Watson (70).
Stenson hasn’t won this season, but he is the only player among the top 5 who truly knows what it takes to win the FedEx Cup. Stenson did that two years ago, also capturing the Tour Championship, and Thursday his round seemed a mix of present brilliance and good memories to call upon.
In ’13, Stenson also got out to a hot start, shooting 64 on Day 1 to take control. He never left the top of the leaderboard, eventually winning with a total of 13-under 267. He could join Tiger Woods on Sunday as only the second player to win multiple FedEx Cups.
Day, who has won four of his last six starts, including a pair of six-shot victories in the playoffs, got off to a terrific start, too, making birdies on his first three holes. The rest of the field had to be glancing at on-course leaderboards wondering if Day is man or machine. But he blocked a driver right and out of bounds on the par-4 fifth hole, leading to a triple-bogey, the first sign he’s given since mid-summer that he’s actually mortal.
“Unfortunately, as humans, we’re going to make some errors,” Day said.
Day said the tee shot on 5 was one of two he’d like to have over, the second being another poor tee shot that led him to punch out from the trees en route to bogey-5 at the 16th.
“To make triple was pretty disappointing, but it’s early on in the tournament, so I can’t dwell on that,” said Day, who on Monday rose to World No. 1.
Rory McIlroy, world No. 2, started slowly but made six birdies in his final 12 holes to shoot 66. Spieth, ranked third in the world, said he had trouble squaring his clubface, and termed his opening 68 “boring.” But he was encouraged by his improved putting, showing better speed control on the greens. It’s something he said that he can build upon.
“Today was definitely an off-day,” Spieth said, “slightly off with both (ballstriking and putting), and I was able to get in at 2 under. This was a round that earlier in the playoffs was a 4-over round. And so I really improved my consistency, even on my misses. And that gives me confidence.”
Nobody played with more confidence than Stenson, who once again pounded the strong 3-wood he carries (12.5 degrees) off the tees and kept the headcover on his driver.
The highlight of his round came on the 600-yard ninth, where he hit 3-wood, 4-wood to 25 feet and curled in a right-to-left putt for eagle.
When Stenson won in 2013 (his only other start at East Lake), he hit only seven drivers all week. On Thursday, he hit none. That’s how pivotal it is to stay out of East Lake’s sticky Bermuda rough. Stenson hit 11 fairways and 13 greens, and with 25 putts, said “the putter was behaving good.”
Mathematically, Stenson can actually win the FedEx Cup this week without recording a single victory this season. But he knows if he can win at East Lake, it simplifies all scenarios and calculations.
“If I were to finish second and win the FedEx Cup, I’m pretty sure I’ll be smiling on Sunday,” Stenson said. “I’ll be smiling more if I got two trophies, but I’ll deal with one as well.”
FIRST ROUND SCOREBOARD
par 70
| 1 |
| | T3 |
| | T3 |
| T5 |
| T5 | -2 | F | -2 | 16 | 24 | 8 |
| T5 | -2 | F | -2 | 13 | 17 | 4 |
| T5 | -2 | F | -2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| T11 | . |
| T11 | . | . |
| T11 | . |
| T11 | . |
| T11 | . |
| T11 | . |
| | T17 |
| T17 |
| | T19 |
| T19 |
| T21 |
| | T21 |
| T23 |
| T23 |
| T23 |
| 26 |
| 27 |
| DNS |
Labels: US PGA TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Friday, September 25, 2015
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