DOHA, 13 March 2005 — Henrik Stenson set the Doha Golf Club course alight with a spectacular late blitz yesterday to take a two-shot lead into final round of the $1.5 million Qatar Masters.
The Dubai-based Swede shot a bogey-free six-under par 66 for an aggregate of 10-under par 206 and stay on target for his third title on the European Tour on a day which saw overnight leader Richard Green of Australia drop down to joint second place.
Green, at 52nd, the highest ranked player in the event after world No. 3 Ernie Els, shot a one-over par 73 to be on eight-under par 208 with Swede Niclas Fasth keeping him company.
First round leader Pierre Fulke of Sweden and England’s Barry Lane were a further shot down in joint third place on seven-under 209.
The 29-year-old Stenson now has an aggregate of 10-under 206 and is almost certain to better his 30th place finish in Qatar two years ago, his best showing in his four previous appearances in the tournament.
Stenson had a sedate start, parring the first three holes and then picking up a shot on the fourth but then walzed his way up the leaderboard with a string of birdies on the back nine, including three in a row from the 10th.
The Swede, who won the 2001 Benson and Hedges event and waited for three years for his second title — The Heritage at Woburn last year — then picked up two more birdies, which included a sensational 30 ft putt on the 17th.
Aussie Green, the 1997 Dubai Desert Classic winner, failed to get going yesterday after solid rounds of 67 and 68 on the first two days.
Green picked up just one birdie — on the 16th — but that was to no avail as he had already dropped shots on the sixth and 14th.
Meanwhile, world No. 3 Ernie Els, hit a three-under par 69 for the second day running to keep himself in contention for the title.
The big South African again played a solid round, recording birdies on the third, ninth, 14th and 16 but dropping a shot on the unlucky par-3, 13th for an aggregate of five-under par 211 to remain five shots off Stenson in 10th place with three others.
Wetterich Is Surprise
Honda Classic Leader
In Toronto, Brett Wetterich carded his second successive six-under 66 to seize a one-shot lead over twice former US Open champion Lee Janzen after the second round of the $5.5 million Honda Classic in Florida on Friday.
The unheralded Wetterich, a resident of nearby Jupiter, has certainly made himself at home at the Country Club at Mirasol in Palm Beach Gardens, two error-free rounds giving him a 12-under total of 132.
“I’m feeling pretty good about myself right now, I’ve had two solid rounds of golf,” said Wetterich, 31, who has never won on the PGA Tour and has only one top-10 finish in 48 starts. He started out five shots behind overnight leader Chad Campbell but rocketed up the leaderboard with the round of the day, an eight-under 64. Playing the back nine first on the Sunrise course, Janzen caught fire after the turn with five birdies and an eagle.
In one blistering stretch, the 40-year-old American was six-under through five holes, giving him the nine-hole course record with a seven-under 29. After opening with a 64, Campbell returned a one-under 71 to join Robert Damron in third place on nine-under 135. Nick Watney was fifth on 136.
Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik, who has not won a title since his 2001 Honda Classic victory, was tied with Patrick Sheehan and Brett Quigley on 137. Last year’s winner Todd Hamilton was back on four-under 140 in a 15-man group which included Fiji’s Vijay Singh, who surrendered the world No. 1 ranking to Tiger Woods.
