Spieth Eases Ahead of Stenson

Getty Images

Jordan Spieth birdied the final hole to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the PGA Tour's season-ending Tour Championship.

The 22-year-old, one of five players who will automatically claim the FedExCup title this week, carded a birdie-two at the par-three last to close a two-under 68 and move one-shot clear of overnight leader Henrik Stenson in Atlanta.

After bouncing back from a dropped shot at the first with an eight-foot gain at the third, Stenson temporarily saw his lead cut to one when he followed a blemish at the tenth with a three-putt bogey at the 11th.

Paul Casey had closed the gap with back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh but failed to pick up another stroke all afternoon, while Rory McIlroy's four gains in a seven hole stretch around the turn briefly moved him within one of the Swede.

Stenson restored his two-shot cushion by rolling in a 22-footer at the 14th, only to see Spieth half the gap by sliding in an eight-foot gain at the next.

A double-bogey at the last from McIlroy saw him back four adrift, as a missed long-range par-save from Stenson at the penultimate hole saw Spieth move in to a tie for the lead heading to the last.

As the Swede two-putted from 30 feet for par to close a two-over 72, Spieth rolled in 20-foot gain to take the outright lead at eight under.

Four birdies on the back nine helped Rickie Fowler to a round-of-the-day 67 in tricky conditions to claim a tie for third alongside Casey, with Zach Johnson joining McIlroy a further stroke back.

World No 1 Jason Day posted consecutive gains on the back nine, but will still head in to the final round in the group eight shots off the pace after a level-par 70 at East Lake.

Related articles

• Day cards rare over-par round to slip out of contention in Boston
• Jones chases second title as Day falters
• Stenson seizes Deutsche Bank lead
• Day Wins BMW Championship, Becomes World Number One
• Day wins BMW, becomes world number one
• Day wins BMW Championship, becomes world number one

Things Go Better for Stenson

Henrik Stenson will take a convincing lead in to the weekend at the Tour Championship, where Jordan Spieth surged up the leaderboard.

Stenson's previous appearance at East Lake saw him lead from start to finish to win the FedExCup title and US $10m bonus to go with the tournament first prize of US $1.4m.

And the Swede remains on course to repeat the feat after a two-under 68 gave him a three-shot lead over nearest challenger Spieth, who pulled himself back into contention with a round-of-the-day 66.

Any time you can maintain or extend your lead is always going to be a good day," Stenson said. "I did not feel like I played my best golf today but made some nice putts for birdie and kept it together pretty nicely."

Resuming two shots clear of Paul Casey after an opening round of 63, Stenson was able to double his advantage by the turn in difficult scoring conditions at a rain-soaked Atlanta.

Casey briefly moved within a stroke of the lead with a seven-foot gain at the first, only for the Swede to birdie two of his opening four holes.

After Stenson and Casey bogeyed the fifth, the Englishman lost further ground by double-bogeying the next after hooking his tee shot in to a water hazard.

That temporarily left Zach Johnson in second spot after the Open champion posted back-to-back gains at the seventh and eighth, only to run up a double-bogey seven and bogey the following two holes.

Gains at the ninth and 12th lifted Casey into joint-second alongside Spieth, who completed his bogey-free round with a 20-footer at the last.

A birdie on the 12th kept Stenson comfortably in front, although the Swede missed the chance to restore his four-shot cushion with a two-putt par from nine feet at the last.

Casey lies four shots off the pace after a blemish at the last, with Johnson a further stroke adrift despite closing his round with back-to-back gains.

Related articles

• Stenson can win $10 million without winning a tournament
• Fantasy Golf Picks: Tour Championship DraftKings and Sleepers
• This Week In Golf: Jason Day Dominates In BMW Championship Win
• Day ascends to No. 1 on strength of fairway play
• What a Day at the BMW Championship
• Rickie Fowler Rallies Past Henrik Stenson, Wins Deutsche Bank Championship

Stenson Extends Lead

Getty Images

Sweden's Henrik Stenson leads the Tour Championship after carding a first-round six-under 64 in Atlanta.

The world number six had a run of four birdies on the East Lake course and after a bogey on the 16th, he birdied the last to lead Adam Scott by one.

Justin Rose is two under while fellow Englishman Luke Donald is level par.

The 30-man field is competing for the $10m (£6.24m) bonus prize for winning the FedEx Cup - Tiger Woods leads the points going into this final event.

However, the world number one, who is guaranteed to win the pot if he is victorious, opened with a three-over par 73.

It was the American's first round without a birdie since the 2010 US Open and he is 29th.

Four other golfers are guaranteed to take the $10m prize if they win the event - which itself carries a first prize of $1.4m (£875,000) - Stenson, Scott, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar.

Johnson and Kuchar both shot rounds of 69 to lie one under but it was 37-year-old Stenson who made the best start, holing from seven feet at the second, eight inches on the fourth and four feet on the fifth to race to three under.

An accurate tee shot on the par-three sixth left him with another tap-in birdie before an eight-foot putt on the seventh and a birdie on the par-five 15th took him to six under.

Stenson's performance came just three days after he knocked the head off his driver by smashing into the ground in frustration towards the end of his rain-delayed final round in the BMW Championship on Monday and then damaged his locker.

Stenson paid for the damage and "apologised to the appropriate parties".

Australia's Masters champion Scott sank six birdies in seven holes from the 10th to shoot up the leaderboard and finish on five under, one shot ahead of American duo Billy Horschel and Steve Stricker.

An eight-strong group containing Rose, Spain's Sergio Garcia and American Dustin Johnson are in touch at two under.

Related articles

• Stenson leads in Tour Championship
• Swedish golfer Henrik Stenson retains lead in Tour Championship with four-shot advantage
• Stenson builds lead to 4 shots at East Lake
• Stenson leads in Tour Championship
• Stenson sets pace at East Lake, opens with 64
• Stenson builds four-stroke advantage