• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Stenson wins TPC

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLA. — Henrik Stenson was famous for reasons he never imagined.

Two months ago, he was best known as the Swede who stripped down to nothing but his underwear and a golf glove while playing from a water hazard at Doral. Out of curiosity, he searched the Internet and found 143 articles, more news than he ever got for his game.

“I guess I got as much attention off that thing as from my results the last 10 years,” he said.

With a final round that was close to perfect, Stenson was the only player to keep bogeys off his card on his way to a 6-under 66 that gave him a four-shot victory, the 10th of his career and by far his biggest.

Trailing by five shots on the treacherous TPC Sawgrass, he took advantage of a swift and shocking collapse by Alex Cejka, never had to worry about Tiger Woods and blew away everyone else in firm, fast conditions rarely seen this side of a major.

The sun-baked gallery was curious how Cejka would fare with a five-shot lead playing in the final group with Woods. Four holes and a little more than an hour into the final round, the lead was gone. Cejka shot 42 on the front and wound up with a 79.

Woods managed a 73 to finish eighth, his 16th consecutive top 10 in stroke-play events worldwide.

Stenson played so well that he had a four-shot leading standing on the 17th tee.

Stenson finished at 12-under 276 and earned $1.71 million for a victory that moves him to No. 5 in the world ranking.

Edgerton’s Steve Stricker shot a two-over 73 and finished 10 strokes off the lead en route to a $79,000 payday.