Stenson clings on to joint lead, Woods slips in Rd 2
Miami, March 17: Sweden’s Henrik Stenson birdied three consecutive holes and clung to a share of the lead Friday as Tiger Woods slipped back in the second round of the US PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Stenson, the 2016 British Open champion and 2017 Rio Olympics runner- up, fired a bogey- free threeunder par 69 to stand alongside American Bryson DeChambeau on 11- under 133 after 36 holes at Bay Hill.
Woods, a 14- time major winner and eight- time champion at the Orlando course, opened and closed the front nine with bogeys but rallied late to shoot a level- par 72 and stand seven shots back on 140 after 36 holes as he works to find consistent top form ahead of Masters.
Stenson, whose only victory since his lone major title came last year at Greensboro, began on the back nine and saved pars from seven feet at the parfive 16th and 15 feet at the par- three 17th after finding bunkers off the tee.
He also sank a nervy five- footer for par at 18 after blasting out of a greenside bunker.
Woods, again attempting to return in the wake of four back operations, stumbled at the start. His tee shot found the left rough and led to a bogey. At nine, Woods had a three- putt bogey from 61 feet.
“Today was just a bad day,” said Woods, who dropped his approaches at the 12th and 16th inches next month’s from the cup for tap- in birdies to reach level par for the day, then narrowly missing a 14- foot birdie putt at 18.
“Today was a hard fight, it was a grind,” he said. “I didn’t hit the ball close. I didn’t hit the ball well. But I was just hanging in there trying not to shoot myself out of the tournament.”
LAHIRI SQUEEZES INSIDE CUT LINE Meanwhile, Anirban Lahiri holed back to back birdies on fourth and fifth on his second nine to squeeze inside the cutline and stay on for the weekend. Lahiri had four each of birdies and bogeys in his even round and is tied 66th at one- over 145 which was also the cutline.