Stenson elevates world status at Players
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2009 The Players Championship | Round Four | 11 May 2009
Henrik Stenson elevated his status in world golf even further today by winning the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass by four shots. It was the Swede’s first victory in a PGA Tour stroke-play event and given the strength of the field, his world ranking should move considerably higher when the revised rankings are announced later today.
Stenson started the day in a share of second and five behind the third round leader, Alex Cejka, but it took little time to realise that Cejka’s five shot lead would be short lived. Cejka was looking for his first PGA Tour victory but the task of playing with Tiger Woods, and on a golf course where the slightest mistake would be magnified, proved too great. He dropped five shots in his first six holes and it would be first round leader, Ben Crane, who would be first to take the lead off Cejka.
Crane birdied his opening two holes but his bogey at the 8th and Stenson’s two putt birdie at the par five 9th had the Swede in front for the first time. Further birdies at the 11th, 13th, 15th and 16th saw Stenson establish a gap that nobody could come near to closing. Although Ian Poulter and John Mallinger chased hard they would be reliant on a late Stenson collapse if they were to have any chance.
That collapse did not eventuate, Stenson producing rock solid two putt pars at the potentially dangerous 17th and 18th holes and the title was his by four over Poulter.
John Mallinger and the painfully deliberate Kevin Na tied for third while Jim Furyk, Ben Crane and Brian Davis shared 5th.
“I’m very pleased with my last days work,” said Stenson. “I played well all week and managed my game and myself, more than anything, and obviously it has paid off.”
Poulter appears much improved by the Lasik eye surgery he had in January, seven years after first enquiring as to whether or not it would make a difference. He was advised then that he should exhaust the possibilities of contact lenses but a specialist in the US said last year that such surgery would make a positive difference and it has.
“I used to have trouble reading greens in dim light,” said the Englishman. “Since the surgery however I have to say the results are unbelievable. I was forced to miss the first few events of the year but I am delighted with the results.”
A much expected last round charge of Tiger Woods never happened, the world number one eventually finishing alone in 8th position. It is very seldom that we see Woods being passed on the final day of any event but today he slipped from a share of second to 8th.
Aaron Baddeley’s brilliant final round of 66 moved him from 65th to a share of 8th. Baddeley was first off on day four, starting his round six hours ahead of the final group. He played his round on his own and was finished nearly three hours before the final pair of Woods and Cejka had even hit off.
Robert Allenby was 14th, Geoff Ogilvy 22nd, John Senden 37th, Nick O’Hern 49th while Nathan Green and Rod Pampling both made the 36 hole cut but missed out on making it to the fourth round due to the MDF category which restricts the size of final day fields. They will both earn a cheque however.
Overall it was a disappointing week for the Australians who at the start of the week would have been licking their lips at the prospect of a firm and fast golf course.
The PGA Tour now heads west to San Antonio in Texas for the Valero Texas Open.
