Three share lead as Woods falters in Hero World Challenge

NASSAU, Bahamas -- Henrik Stenson, Jon Rahm and Tony Finau are tied for the lead on 13-under par heading into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.

Sweden's Stenson and Spain's Rahm, who shared the overnight lead, couldn't be separated at the close of day three in signing for three-under par 69s while American Finau birdied both the 15th and 16th holes in a round of 67 to join his European Ryder Cup-winning rivals.

"I played nicely birding four of the par-fives, and on this golf course, we have five of them," said Finau who is making his debut in the $3 million event hosted by Tiger Woods on the Albany Club course.

"That's what you have to do to play well, so I was able to do that today.

"This is a golf course I'm not very familiar with, I played it once before we played. When I'm playing well, I feel like I can score on any golf course, especially a course that has five par-fives.

"We play a lot of golf courses on the PGA Tour there's only two or three, so to be able to have those couple extra par-fives you just know you're going to have some opportunities to score and I've been able to take advantage of those opportunities," added Finau, who is nine-under on 15 par-fives through three rounds.

The 29-year old Salt Lake City golfer said he had also benefitted from a small adjustment to his putter as he seeks to make amends after losing out in a play-off in last month’s WGC – HSBC Champions.

"I added two degrees of loft in my putter after Thursday and then went out and shot 64 yesterday with it and so I decided to keep it," he said.

Stenson was four-under par over the outward nine holes but played the inward half in one-over as he seeks a first victory since capturing the 2017 Wyndham Championship.

"It's a three-way tie for the lead so it's very much an open ballgame," Stenson said.

"It's a small-field tournament, but it still gives you a nice boost if you manage to win at the end of the day."

- Ace lifts Noren -

Fellow Swede Alex Noren was celebrating after recording a hole-in-one at the par-three 17th hole in what was a remarkable finish for the Ryder Cup star.

Noren was two-over par after 10 holes and then after a birdie on 12 he completed his closing five holes in bizarre manner – birdie (14), eagle (15), triple-bogey (16), ace (17) and birdie (18) in a score of 70 that put him tied for eighth on eight-under.

Woods, meanwhile, couldn't find any momentum, his third-round 72 seeing him drop to last in the 18-player field on two-under par.

"I just haven’t played clean this week," said Woods, who had five birdies on his card but also three bogeys and a double bogey seven at the par-five third.

The 14-time major winner began the week battling a "bug" he picked up from his son Charlie.

"Today was probably the best I’ve felt physically this week, finally started to get my energy back and started to feel a little bit better,” he said.

Immediately following the event, Woods is flying by private jet to Los Angeles to board a QANTAS flight direct to Melbourne.

He'll be there for three days as part of his preparations as the USA Presidents Cup Team Captain ahead of the staging of the biennial event last next year.

"We'll go out there and look at the golf course and we'll look at the set-up and drive around it and see the administrative side of it and where we'll have the team facility," he said.

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Stenson holds one-shot lead at Bay Hill, Woods five back

Henrik Stenson held a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau with big names Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler pushing into contention and Tiger Woods five shots back after the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday.

Swede Stenson, despite three bogeys, stayed atop the leaderboard at 12-under 204 after shooting a one-under 71 at Bay Hill on a gorgeous Florida afternoon.

"With the chances I had and the way I played, I was looking for a little bit better," Stenson told local media.

Woods, an eight time winner, birdied the 18th for a 69 and a share of 10th at 209.

"That was a nice one," the former world number one said of the birdie. "Maybe a low (score) tomorrow will give me a chance to kind of steal one."

He will need to overcome some of the world's top players. While DeChambeau, the second-round co-leader, hung on for second with a 72, McIlroy, Rose and Fowler are all well placed.

Northern Irishman McIlroy, playing his best golf in the United States this year, was strong on a back nine which featured an eagle at the 12th. He finished the day outright third at 10-under after his fourth birdie in a round of 67.

"It was great to get an eagle there, especially after coming off the bogey on 11," McIlroy said. "It was a big momentum shift."

He also enjoyed his birdie at 18.

"I didn't feel like I got a lot of perfect numbers. I was sort of in between clubs a little bit so to persevere and get a good one at the last and put a good swing on it and take advantage was really nice."

Englishman Rose (67) and American Ryan Moore (69) were a stroke back on nine-under. "I hit loads of greens, loads of fairways today," said Rose, who had six birdies and a bogey.

"That was as clean a ball-striking round as I have had all year, so I am excited."

Fowler was in a group at eight-under. He managed a 70 despite dropping three strokes in a meltdown on the last two holes.

The American, who was once tied for the lead, had a bogey at the 17th and a double-bogey at the last.

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Salvo, North Carolina; Editing by Ian Ransom)

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Rose and Stenson, Day and Fowler to unite at revamped PGA event

NEW YORK -- Rio Olympic champion Justin Rose and runner-up Henrik Stenson will partner for next year's US PGA Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which announced Monday it will switch to a two-man team format starting next year.

The event has been won in the past by such stars as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Byron Nelson, Lee Westwood, K.J. Choi, Vijay Singh and Rose in 2015.

"The Zurich Classic is already a special tournament for me," Rose said. "The addition of a team format adds a new, incredibly exciting element to the event. Henrik and I are very excited to tee it up together in April, and hopefully we can continue our longstanding chemistry and success in team formats."

Both have been stalwarts for Europe in the Ryder Cup and their exciting last-day duel for gold in August electrified the first Olympic men's golf competition since 1904.

The US PGA Tour policy board changed the event format to two rounds of foursomes and two of four-ball starting with the 2017 edition of the tournament, set for April 27-30 at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans.

Among the duos to defeat will be the Rose-Stenson pairing and world number one Jason Day of Australia teaming with US star Rickie Fowler.

"I've loved being a part of team events throughout my amateur, collegiate and now professional career," said Fowler. "I'm so excited that the tour and Zurich are making this part of our schedule and can't wait to tee it up with Jason in April."

American Brian Stuard defeated compatriot Jamie Lovemark and South Korean An Byeong-Hun in a playoff last May for the final solo title.

The new 72-hole stroke-play format will feature foursomes (alternate shot) in the first and third rounds and four-ball (best ball) during the second and fourth rounds.

A field of 80 teams will be cut to the low 35 pairs and ties after two rounds. A sudden-death four-ball playoff will be used as a playoff to decide the champions.

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VIRAL: Heckling golf fan has last laugh

Has the @rydercup started already?????????? pic.twitter.com/s6EImcbnZv

— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) September 29, 2016

CHASKA, Minnesota -- A fan who heckled European Ryder Cup duo Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan when they could not make a putt in practice on Thursday celebrated as if he had won $1 million after being invited to show what he could do.

McIlroy, Sullivan, Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose pulled David Johnson out of the crowd at Hazeltine National and offered him $100 if he could do any better.

Johnson responded by rolling a 15-foot putt straight into the hole before launching into an extravagant series of fist-pumps and high fives.

A grinning Stenson pointed to the sky as the ball disappeared into the cup and then gave the fan a big bear hug.

McIlroy, Rose and Sullivan also embraced Johnson in delight before the beaming fan raised his $100 bill into the air with pride.

"I closed my eyes, hit the putt and it happened to go in," he told reporters.

Holders Europe will be chasing a fourth successive victory over the United States when the biennial team event gets underway on Friday.

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Walker wins first major at PGA Championship

SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey - American Jimmy Walker broke through for his first major title with a one-shot win over Jason Day in the PGA Championship after playing 36 holes at water-logged Baltusrol on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Texan calmly canned a three-foot par putt to win wire-to-wire with steely precision, shooting a final-round 67 to finish on 14-under-par 266, but his victory was far from routine.

He had to return to the classic championship course early Sunday morning to play his entire third round after heavy rain and thunderstorms suspended play on Saturday, and shot two-under 68 for a one-shot lead going into the final 18.

Walker then had to fend off major winners Day and Henrik Stenson breathing down his neck in the final round, but came out shining with a one-two punch after the turn to set up victory.

Holding a one-shot lead over both world number one and defending champion Day and British Open winner Stenson, Walker holed out from a greenside bunker to birdie the 10th.

Walker then rolled in a left-to-right curling, 30-foot uphill putt for birdie at the 11th to extend his lead to two over Australia's Day. He widened the lead to three with a birdie putt that curled around the lip and in at the 17th.

But Day put on the pressure, reaching the par-five 18th in two. He rolled in the eagle putt for 67 to close the gap to one, as Walker, playing in the final pairing, looked on from back in the fairway.

The American then sprayed his approach into thick rough right of the green before punching his third safely onto the green but 35 feet beyond the hole.

He rolled his first putt three feet past, leaving himself with a testing par putt, which he sank under enormous pressure in the fading light for his first major triumph.

Walker's victory completes a year of first-time major champions, joining Masters champion Danny Willett of England, American U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson and British Open champion Henrik Stenson.

In third place on 10-under was American Daniel Summerhays, who fired a closing 66, with South African Branden Grace (67), Hideki Matsuyama (68) and American Brooks Koepka (70) another shot back.

With more threatening weather forecast for Sunday, officials set up a marathon Sunday to try and finish the tournament, sending players back out for the final round without re-pairing to save time.

The gamble paid off as the storms held up and the championship was settled.

They also ruled that final-round play would be conducted with preferred lies, given the saturated state of the Baltusrol course and more rain expected.

It marked the first time players in a major championship were allowed to lift, clean and place balls in the fairway.

(Editing by Andrew Both)

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Record-breaking Stenson lands first major at Troon

TROON, Scotland - Record-breaking Swede Henrik Stenson became the first Scandinavian male to capture a major when he won the British Open on Sunday, beating Phil Mickelson in an extraordinary final-round duel.

The world number six produced a swashbuckling eight-under-par 63 to finish 20-under on 264, three ahead of playing partner Mickelson (65).

The 40-year-old Stenson's round equalled the lowest in any major championship and his winning total was also a record for any of the 'Big Four' tournaments.

"Wow, this will take a little while to sink in," said Stenson as he held aloft the coveted Claret Jug. "I'm still trying to find my bearings here.

"I want to thank Phil for a fantastic battle. We played some great golf and I'm delighted to come out on top."

Like two prize fighters in a ring, the two men traded blow after stunning blow, reeling off birdie after birdie to turn the last day of golf's oldest major into a two-way procession.

The rest were nowhere with American JB Holmes (69) taking third spot on 278, 11 behind Mickelson as the leading pair evoked memories of the great 'Duel in the Sun' Turnberry Open of 1977 when Tom Watson edged out Jack Nicklaus in another epic head-to-head.

Steve Stricker (69) of the U.S. was in fourth place on 279, one in front of Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton of England and Spaniard Sergio Garcia.

Mickelson showed he meant business with a first-hole birdie after drilling a majestic approach to tap-in range while overnight leader Stenson took three putts.

BIRDIE BARRAGE

The Swede's response was instant and emphatic as he birdied five of the next seven holes, making a complete nonsense of gusts of up to 25mph on the windswept Ayrshire coastline.

Five-times major champion Mickelson, however, refused to be cowed and an eagle three at the fourth followed by a birdie two holes later meant he was only one behind at the turn.

The putts continued to fall at the 10th as both players birdied yet again.

The 46-year-old American, bidding to become the oldest winner of the Open in the modern era, levelled again at the 11th when his title rival three-putted for the second time.

As the wind died down and the sun made a rare appearance, Stenson delivered the coup de grace with a hat-trick of birdies at the 14th, 15th and 16th giving him a two-shot advantage with two holes to play.

Mickelson's last chance came and went at the 16th when his eagle putt just missed.

Stenson, full of adrenaline on the 18th tee, hammered his tee shot 310 yards down the fairway and was mightily relieved to see it stop 12 inches short of one of Royal Troon's fiendish pot bunkers.

He safely found the green with his approach and rolled in another monster putt to complete victory and post the 29th round of 63 in major championship history.

"I knew he wasn't going to back down at any point and in a way that makes it easier," said Stenson. "I knew I had to keep on pushing, keep on giving myself birdie chances."

Mickelson, who beat Stenson into second place when he won the 2013 Open at Muirfield, was generous in his praise.

"It's disappointing to come in second but I'm happy for Henrik, he's really a great champion," said the left-hander. "We've been friends for some time.

"I've always thought he is one of the best ball-strikers in the game and that major championships are perfectly suited for him. I knew he would ultimately come through and win."

(Editing by Martyn Herman and Pritha Sarkar)

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Spieth leapfrogs Stenson for Tour Championship lead

ATLANTA - Jordan Spieth used the magic of his putter to overtake Henrik Stenson and grab a one-stroke lead after Saturday's water-logged third round of the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club.

American Spieth poured in a 20-foot birdie putt at the last to cap off a two-under-par 68 that lifted him to an eight-under total of 202 on a layout left drenched after a second successive day of rain.

"It was a fantastic day, two-under in these conditions," a smiling Spieth said. "I'm very pleased with where we stand going into tomorrow, and Henrik's going to come back very strong. This was his off day and so I'm going to have to play even better."

The 22-year-old, quiet the last month after a sensational first half of the year in which he won the Masters and U.S. Open among four titles, stayed within striking distance with a remarkable par-save on 16 and a two-putt from 72 feet on 17.

"Sixteen and 18 were great," he said. "Sixteen was a bit of a slight double breaker, mainly broke right-to-left. Just kind of have to cast it out with the right speed and hopefully it takes the right amount of break.

"I visualize where I think it needs to go and it happened to do just that," added Spieth, who has not had a three-putt in 82 holes.

Swede Stenson began the drizzly day with a three-shot lead over Spieth, but his mastery of the venerable course waned in the soggy conditions as he posted four bogeys and two birdies for 72 and a 203 aggregate.

Stenson clung to a one-shot lead before bogeying the 17th after knocking his approach into the right bunker, short-siding himself to the pin with the green sloping away. His sand shot ran 35 feet past the cup and he two-putted for bogey.

"Wet, muddy, tough," said Stenson, who led wire-to-wire in winning the 2013 Tour Championship and FedExCup at East Lake and led after each of the first two rounds this year.

"I think everyone's soaking wet and muddy and needs a good wash out for tomorrow."

SOLVING EAST LAKE'S PUZZLE

Tied for third place, four strokes off the pace at 206, were Rickie Fowler, who best solved the East Lake puzzle on Saturday with a three-under 67, and Englishman Paul Casey, who shot 71.

Four-times major winner Rory McIlroy (70) and British Open champion Zach Johnson (71) were another shot behind at three under par.

McIlroy suffered from awkward stances above greenside bunkers for a bogey at 16 and a double-bogey at the 18th that dropped him back from five-under.

"I just couldn't get a stance to where I could aim directly at the pin," the Northern Irishman explained about the last hole.

"I was aiming about 10 feet right of the pin and trying to hood the club face and sort of manufacture some sort of shot."

The improvised chip ran off the green and into rough and he stubbed his next chip on the way to a double.

Besides the nearly $1.5 million first prize, a victory for any of Spieth, Stenson or Fowler would also clinch them the $10 million FedExCup playoffs bonus.

Players struggled through a second successive soggy day at East Lake, and although they were allowed to lift, clean and place balls on the saturated fairways, the 7,300 yard layout played much longer and thoroughly tested the elite field of 28.

A dry day is forecast for Sunday's final round and the awarding of the FedExCup jackpot. (Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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