STARE TO DREAM
Steely-eyed Stenson in hunt for second straight major
It figured Henrik Stenson would go one of two ways. He would either succumb to the hoopla of having won the first major championship of his career at the British Open or carry the momentum of one of golf ’s greatest rounds into a fast start at the PGA Championship.
Check the latter after an opening round 3-under 67 on Thursday left Stenson two shots off the lead at the year’s final major at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Stenson played the long and treacherous back nine on the Lower Course in 3-under, draining birdies at the par-3 12th, the par-4 15th and the par-5 18th. He trails leader Jimmy Walker, who shot a 5-under 65, and a trio at 4-under.
“I thought I played a very solid round,” Stenson said. “I wasn’t in too much trouble at any time.”
Stenson would have been excused if he had claimed mental fatigue after posting one of the most brilliant final rounds in major championship history two weeks ago, when he fired a 63 to outduel Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon in becoming the Champion Golfer of the Year. Stenson became the first male Swede to win a major and could have rested on his laurels. Yet, there he was as the sun settled on Baltusrol in position to validate his first major championship by challenging for another.
“It’s going to be a great season for me, but at the same time I want to give myself a chance to make it the best season,” Stenson said. “I still want to focus and get back into it. I think one week in between might be potentially a good thing. But it could be a bad thing. It’s always hard to tell.”
It seems to be a good thing for Stenson, who looks ready to be recognized among the game’s best players alongside Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy. Johnson and McIlroy struggled in the opening round with Johnson, the U.S. Open champion, ballooning to a 7-over 77. McIlroy, baffled by the Baltusrol greens, is 4-over. Day, the defending PGA Champion, is 2-under, while Spieth is even par.
Like most in the field, Stenson had trouble solving the Baltusrol greens that became increasingly difficult to read in the afternoon following play by the morning wave.
“I wasn’t quite as comfortable on the greens,” Stenson said. “But all in all, I think I handled that pretty well. It was nice to make that putt on 15 for birdie and then I had a couple of testers on quite a few holes from 3 to 5 feet. But I managed to make the most of them. The only hiccup was really I missed a 3-footer on 9 for par. Other than that, I still kept it fairly tidy on the greens.”
Stenson easily outdueled Johnson, his playing partner and pretournament favorite. He had more double bogeys (two) than birdies (one) and added four more bogeys.
“A couple of bad tee shots led to some bogeys,” Stenson said of Johnson, who refused to speak with reporters. “Then he missed a fairway bunker shot on 11 and wrapped up with a 6. It’s major golf. It’s a tough course. If you’re not playing your best, it’s going to show up and I think that’s normal.”
The PGA Tour’s Player of the Year Award is on the line and certainly would go to Stenson should he back up his Open Championship with the PGA Championship. He already has a formidable Ryder Cup record.
“We’re in the middle of a busy season,” Stenson said. “I’ve got a lot of golf to play. It’s the final major and then we have the Olympics, the FedEx Cup, the Ryder Cup, Race to Dubai. I’ve got a lot of golf to play.”
McIlroy returned to the course late Thursday and spent time practicing his putting, while Johnson stormed off the property refusing to speak with reporters after taking bogey at the 18th, the easiest hole on the course.
Walker, meanwhile, was all smiles after positioning himself for perhaps his first win of the year not to mention his first major championship.
“I want to win,” he said. “That’s the whole purpose and the goal in being here is to win.”
There are plenty of other veterans within striking distance, including Rickie Fowler (2-under) and Phil Mickelson (1-over).