Bradley Dredge (66) was two strokes behind, while Paul Lawrie (68) was at 7 under.

A hole in one for Alexander Knappe on the second was not enough to save him from missing the cut, which was projected at 1 under. A 74 left him on 4 over.

After a slow start in preferable conditions to those he mastered in shooting 64 on Thursday, Stenson regained control before he bogeyed his last two holes at Munich Nord-Eichenried Golf Club.

Still, he felt in control of his own destiny this weekend.

“I don’t think I should be worried at all,” he said. “I will just see later tonight what the story is and try to stay patient.

“You want to get good finishes and winning is the ultimate one. I am looking forward to the weekend. I feel I am playing good enough to win this tournament.”

The Swede has been in steady decline since winning the Players Championship in Sawgrass in 2009, and was looking to break back into the top 100.

“I have not won since 2009 so two years is a long period, and the longer the period between victories, the more you would enjoy it,” Stenson said.

He bogeyed his first hole, the 10th, but quickly recovered and came in on 35. An eagle on the sixth and a birdie on the seventh got the former world No. 4 back to 12 under, but an overzealous second shot to the 9th found water and took some gloss off his round as he fell back to 10 under, still enough to hold the clubhouse lead.
 
Rain mars first day of Travelers Championship

In Cromwell, Connecticut, Michael Bradley had a one-stroke lead when first-round play in the Travelers Championship was suspended for the day Thursday.

Bradley was 6 under with two holes left when play was stopped at 11:30 a.m. at TPC River Highlands.

“You know what, it’s unfortunate,” Bradley said. “The course is unplayable. There’s a lot of water on the course.”

Officials reopened the driving range late in the afternoon and hoped to resume play at 5:45 p.m. after emptying the bunkers of waters and using squeegees on several fairways. But another shower forced more delays and officials eventually decided not to restart play before 7 a.m. Friday.

“All the good work they’d done, they lost,” said Mark Russell, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competition.

PGA Tour officials said the course received just over an inch of rain in the 6 1/2 hours before play was called for the day.

Vijay Singh was in a group of seven players a shot back. Singh hit his drive into the woods on the par-4 15th hole just before the rain delay. He found the ball and was expected to take a drop when play resumes.

Bo Van Pelt also was at 5 under through 15 after making an eagle and two birdies on his final three holes of the morning.

“Unfortunately, weather, mother nature took over,” he said.

Former Masters champion Zach Johnson was in a group at 4 under.

Only two groups finished the round. Kris Blanks shot a 68 to put him four strokes behind Bradley and Ben Curtis opened with a 69.