PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, (Reuters) – Sweden’s Henrik Stenson kept his cool in 90 degree heat to win the Players Championship by four shots, as a frustrated Tiger Woods crashed out of contention at the TPC Sawgrass course yesterday.
The unflappable Swede carded the only bogey-free round on the final day, a six under-par 66 for 12-under overall, to pick up his first strokeplay win on the PGA Tour.
Britain’s Ian Poulter shot a two-under 70 to finish second four strokes behind Stenson and post his best result on U.S. soil.
Joint second overnight, world number one Tiger Woods had another frustrating day, slumping to eighth after carding a one-over par round marred by four bogeys, as a number of players struggled with the hard and fast greens.
Overnight leader Alex Cejka of Germany went into yesterday with a five-stroke lead, the biggest final day margin in the tournament’s history, but surrendered it within four holes.
The German was out of contention by the half-way stage as he shot a disappointing seven-over for the day.
Poulter, resplendent in pink trousers and mirror sunglasses, produced some sharp golf but was unable to make enough birdie chances to catch Stenson and capture his own first win in the States.
Stenson’s previous win in the U.S came in the 2007 WGC Accenture Match Play championship. The Swede said his birdie on the par three 13th, snared with a tricky 11-foot putt from the fringe, was the key moment.
“After that birdie I felt that I was in the driving seat from then on in,” he said.
The Swede’s victory marks the second straight year a European has won what is widely considered the ‘fifth major’ following Spaniard Sergio Garcia’s triumph last year.
Americans John Mallinger and Kevin Na tied for third, both five shots off Stenson’s score.
