Date: September 22, 2013
Author: Omnisport

Stenson stays ahead as sick Adam Scott fades

Sweden&aposs Henrik Stenson is still on course to win the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup, despite a late wobble on Saturday. With just one day of play remaining at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Stenson holds a four-shot lead over the chasing pack. The Swede could pocket US$1.4 million for winning the tournament, which would also see him secure the whopping $10m prize money for the FedEx Cup title, although a late run of three bogeys in the closing five holes of his round on Saturday gave his rivals some hope of overhauling him. The top 120 golfers of the year begin the FedEx Cup, played over four events The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship and Tour Championship with the field gradually whittled down after each tournament. Just 30 players remain in contention for the 2013 prize, with Stenson now in command after carding a one-under 69 in his penultimate round. It could have been so much better for the Swede, though, but for his struggles on the back nine. He carded fives at the 10th, 14th, 16th and dropped another shot at the 18th with a solitary inward birdie on the 15th to undo all his good work on the front nine after he had gone out in 31. His main rivals for the FedEx Cup title are American pair Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker, but Stenson is not allowing himself to get carried away just yet. “I think I&aposll choose to look at it from the bright side, even though the weather is not that bright at the moment,” said the Swede, who is ranked sixth in the world but dropped as low as 230th in 2012. “(I) started the day with a four-shot lead and I still got it. So that&aposs all that matters really.” Stenson led by nine shots at the turn, but a series of hooked tee shots and a three-putt for a bogey on the 18th robbed him of holding a bigger lead, as he finished the day on an overall score of 11 under. Dustin Johnson is his nearest rival for the tournament, with the American shooting four birdies in a round of 67, but he remains four shots off the pace. His compatriot, Stricker, hit a two-under 68 and is at five under, with his very slim hopes of winning the FedEx Cup still alive. American trio Johnson, Billy Horschel and Jordan Spieth, and England&aposs Justin Rose, are tied for fourth at four under. World No.1 Tiger Woods, who leads the FedEx Cup standings, would have to perform a miracle to win the accolade. He is 14 shots off the pace at three over, in a tie for 26th. And the news was not good for Australian Adam Scott, either, who sits third in the FedEx Cup race, as sickness that saw him administered IV fluids earlier in the day meant that he could only manage a two-over 74. Scott dropped to two under overall as a result, leaving him nine shots behind Stenson.