Stenson stays bogey-free

Henrik Stenson stayed bogey free to open a two-shot lead at the summit of the leaderboard in the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Saturday.
Stenson shot birdies on the sixth, ninth and 15th holes, before an eagle on the 16th and finished on a high with another birdie on the 18th.
With scores of 68 and 66 posted in the first two rounds, Saturday’s six-under 66 brought the Swede’s total to 16-under.
“Today was, all in all, a better played round than Friday even though the result was the same,” Stenson told the PGA Tour website.
“I felt like I hit better shots and striking has been good this week, which has been a little off the previous two weeks.”
Stenson also admitted that he has been unable to avoid thinking about the Masters, which is just over two weeks away.
“Augusta is definitely in the back of my mind. I got a few things I’m kind of working on towards Augusta but still we’re here now and playing the final round and I’m going to try my hardest to do a good job and try and close out this golf tournament to win here.”
Trailing Stenson by two shots is American Morgan Hoffman, who shot two bogeys and three birdies to card a one-under 71.
Hoffman’s compatriots Jason Kokrak, Ben Martin and defending champion Matt Every are tied for third with New Zealand’s Matt Jones on 13-under. Kokrak shot a 65, Martin a 68, Every a 69 and Jones shot 67.
Meanwhile, world number one Rory McIlroy is tied for 12th on nine-under, after shooting a 71 on Saturday.
The Northern Irishman looked to be returning to his best after a 66 on Friday, but three consecutive bogeys between the 14th and 16th holes in round three saw his slump continue.
“There were parts of the round that were good. I have to concentrate on that and focus on the positives and try and take those into Sunday,” he said.
“There are times when I’m really comfortable and then times that I’m still not too comfortable so it’s highlighted a couple of different things. But for the most part I’ve got what I wanted out of it.”
Latest
-
Equipment
Every club Cobra Golf’s Lexi Thompson carries in her bag in 2023
Lexi Thompson shows remarkable faith in the clubs that have brought her success.
-
News
Should recreational players be concerned about golf ball rollback?
Should recreational players be concerned about the golf ball rollback’s impact on their game?
-
Equipment
What’s in the bag for Nelly Korda at the Grant Thornton Invitational?
Nelly Korda has a full TaylorMade supplied bag barring one club.
-
Equipment
The first club you should buy as a beginner golfer
Which club should you make your first investment?
-
News
Confirmed: Tiger Woods is still a draw after Golf Channel ratings bump
Woods still does Tiger numbers.
-
Instruction
Why you can’t stop chunking your irons – and how to stop it
That’s Captain Chunk to you…
-
Courses
Ranking all 6 Australian states by the quality of their golf courses
How do Australia’s states stack up when it comes to their golf.
-
Equipment
Titleist launch incredible limited edition Mystic Blue Scotty Cameron HXXIII Newport Putter
The Mystic Blue Scotty Cameron HXXIII Newport Putter is breathtaking.
-
Equipment
The clubs Scottie Scheffler used to win the Hero World Challenge – including a new custom putter
Scottie Scheffler had a new putter in hand for his Hero World Challenge win.
-
Equipment
5 of the very best drivers to give you more distance off the tee
Looking for distance in a driver? We have you covered.