Stenson seizes Bay Hill lead
ORLANDO: Sweden’s third-ranked Henrik Stenson went four-under on the last four holes to grab a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational while Rory McIlroy’s charge fizzled.
Stenson sank a 13-foot birdie putt at 15, eagled the par-five 16th with a 20-foot putt and dropped his approach inches from the cup at 18 for a tap-in birdie to finish a sixunder 66 and stand on 16-under 200 at the US$6.3 million US PGA Tour event.
“Pretty nice way to finish,” Stenson said. “What I’ve done has put me in a nice position but it has got to be done all over again tomorrow. I’ve got to go out there and keep the same mindset.”
It was the second day in a row Stenson went four-under over the final four holes. He matched the low 54-hole total at Bay Hill first recorded by Andy Bean in 1981.
American Morgan Hoffmann, who led after the first and second rounds in quest of his first tour title, fired a 71 to stand second on 202, one stroke ahead of Australian Matt Jones and Americans Jason Kokrak, Ben Martin and defending champion Matt Every.
World No.1 McIlroy pulled within one shot of the lead with back-to-back birdies only to bogey the next three holes.
McIlroy had a tap-in birdie at the par-five sixth and chipped in a 22-footer from just off the green for birdie at the ninth. After birdies at 12 and 13, he was just one adrift.
But McIlroy’s charge collapsed. He missed a 10-foot par putt at the par-three 14th and a three-foot par putt at 15, then went into a fairway bunker and missed a seven-foot par putt at 16 for his third bogey in a row. He fired a 71 to stand seven behind Stenson.
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat matched the tournament record for the low front nine score with a 30 on his way to a bogey-free 65. Kiradech made six birdies in the first nine holes and needed only nine putts on the first nine holes.