The Citizen (KZN)

Course record for classy Swede

WYNDHAM: STENSON FINISHES ON 22-UNDER-PAR 258

- Los Angeles

Brilliant 64 gives him a one-shot victory in Greensboro.

Henrik Stenson shot a sizzling final-round six-under-par 64 to win the Wyndham Championsh­ip by a stroke on Sunday and claim his sixth PGA Tour title, the most by a Swede.

Playing machine-like golf, Stenson missed only nine greens in 72 holes and backed up his fine long game with a hot putter at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Swede took the lead by reeling off three consecutiv­e birdies from the 15th hole, the last a 25-foot putt, before parring the demanding 18th to edge young American Ollie Schniederj­ans.

Stenson finished at 22-under-par 258, the lowest ever tally at the tournament by a stroke, and his sixth career title took him past compatriot­s Jesper Parnevik and Carl Pettersson, who both have five.

“I’m very happy with the way I closed out this week, really had to keep on making birdies because Ollie was surely not backing down and there were a few other guys pushing me as well,” Stenson told reporters.

It was Stenson’s first win in 13 months since his British Open triumph at Royal Troon, where he also set a scoring record.

“I don’t know how many times I’m going to be able to get close to playing as well as I did at Troon,” the 41-year-old said.

“That was a performanc­e of a lifetime.”

The top-ranked player in the field, Stenson relished his role as the tournament’s alpha male with most of the big boys taking the week off before the start of the tour playoffs on Thursday.

Schniederj­ans also shot 64 to finish second on 21-under, the 24-year-old keeping up the pressure with three birdies in his final four holes. –

 ?? Picture: Getty Images ?? ICE-COOL. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson celebrates with the trophy after winning the Wyndham Championsh­ip at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro on Sunday.
Picture: Getty Images ICE-COOL. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson celebrates with the trophy after winning the Wyndham Championsh­ip at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro on Sunday.

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