Stenson expands lead | The Salt Lake Tribune

Golf • Despite going a club short, the Swede's lead is now four shots.

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Atlanta • Henrik Stenson broke another club Friday — this time by accident.

And it didn't matter.

Playing with only 13 clubs in the bag after his 4-wood broke on the practice range, Stenson made three birdies on the opening four holes at East Lake to quickly seize control and shot 4-under 66 to build a four-shot lead over Adam Scott in the Tour Championship.

For all his birdies, the best move he made all week was deciding to put the 4-wood in his locker instead of carrying it with him.

Stenson heard a funny sound after hitting five shots on the range, showed it to Steve Stricker and realized the face caved in. A television viewer who heard about the incident called the PGA Tour to see if the Swede had kept it in his bag, and officials checked with Stenson after his round.

If he had left it in the bag without using it, Stenson would have been assessed a four-shot penalty — the margin of his lead. If he had used the club, he would have been disqualified. Stenson had no intention of using it, though sending it to his locker saved him.

He wasn't sure it was a violation to carry a non-conforming club, nor did he know the penalties.

"You asked me how well I knew the rules the other day. I gave myself 7 out of 10, didn't I?" he said. "I guess this was in the other 30 percent then. … Good thing that we put it in the locker before we teed off."

The way he's going, a bizarre incident like that might be the only thing that can stop him.

Stenson was at 10-under 130 going into the third round and might be playing a course far less firm. The forecast is for rain most of day, and the starting times have been moved up to Saturday morning with hopes of getting it in.

Tiger Woods is not in position to halt the hottest player in golf. Woods was headed toward the best round of the day, 5-under through 13 holes, when he made double bogey on the 14th, had a triple bogey on the 17th and wound up with a 71. He was 14 shots behind. It was the first time since the 2011 PGA Championship that Woods began a tournament with back-to-back rounds over par. —

Leaderboard

Tour Championship

Henrik Stenson -10

Adam Scott -6

Jordan Spieth -5

Justin Rose -4

Dustin Johnson -4

Billy Horschel -4

Also

Phil Mickelson -2

Tiger Woods +4