NORTON, Massachusetts – One 3-wood quickly put Henrik Stenson into the mix at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Another one helped to give him the lead.
Stenson drilled a 3-wood on the 298-yard fourth hole at the TPC Boston that hit into the bank and rolled up to 20 feet for an eagle that allowed him to bolt up the leaderboard. The Swede showed off his supreme strength on the par-5 closing hole with a 3-wood off the tee that left him only a 6-iron into the green for a two-putt birdie that gave him a 6-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Rickie Fowler.
Five shots behind going into the third round Sunday, Stenson made up that deficit in just seven holes. He can only hope to make up that kind of ground on a winless season during the final month of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
“It’s a good time to start playing well,” said Stenson, who was at 13-under 200. “It’s a big event and lots to play for. I’m happy with the progress I made and it gave me a little bit of a confidence boost last week that I had a nice tournament. I hope I can have another one here tomorrow.”
Fowler had a 67, missing out on a chance to share the lead when his 5-iron into the 18th was too strong and he had to scramble to salvage a par.
Sean O’Hair (67) and Matt Jones (68) were two shots behind.
They all took advantage of a collapse by Charley Hoffman, who blazed his way to victory at the TPC Boston five years ago. After opening with a birdie, Hoffman put his second shot into the hazard at the par-5 second hole and made bogey, and it slipped away from there. He shot 41 on front, had five bogeys in a seven-hole stretch and didn’t make another birdie until his last hole for a 76.
Jordan Spieth was headed for a return to No. 1, and he’s not even here after missing his second straight cut.
PGA champion Jason Day would have to win the Deutsche Bank to go to No. 1 in the world, and the Australian finally hit the wall. Day made a double bogey on the reachable par-4 fourth hole and never quite recovered. He had a 73, his first round over par since closing with a 74 at the US Open in June.