PGA Championship: Stenson Rides 3-Wood Into Contention

Henrik Stenson opened the PGA Championship with a pair of 67s, putting himself in good position heading into the weekend.

Despite starting his second round with two bogies due to missed four-footers, Henrik Stenson rebounded to pull into contention at the PGA Championship. His group began the second round at the 10th hole, and it was an eagle at the 18th that got him back to even for the round and propelled him forward.

“In terms of the scoring, that was definitely the one,” he said in the press center. “I hit a really good 3-wood in there. I just saw it on television earlier, and it landed perfectly just at the front edge and trickled up to three feet.”

Stenson’s 3-wood, if not his favorite club, is at least his workhorse. It has carried him to FedEx Cup and Race to Dubai trophies, as well as a Players Championship. Two weeks ago, at The Open Championship, he was at it again — he shot a brilliant final round 63 on the way to victory. Now, he’s hoping it will get him to a PGA Championship title.

“If you’re looking for one, I can’t give you one,” he joked about the club. But he did explain that he has backups stashed both at his home in Orlando and also in Sweden, just in case he needs a replacement.

More from Pro Golf Now

“I think they have a few in the [Callaway equipment] truck, as well,” he added. “Sometimes they don’t tell you how many they have, but I’m sure at Callaway headquarters, they have a few standing around.”

As the recently minted Champion Golfer of the Year, it’s unlikely Stenson would have a problem getting a replacement for any of his clubs in the case of an emergency.

The club in question is a Callaway Diablo Octane Tour, what Stenson calls a strong 3-wood.

“It’s 12.3, 12.5 degrees,” he explained. “It has that Graffaloy blue shaft in it, very stiff shaft. I played that for a good ten years, something like that. So yeah, it’s just that old trusty, and I’ve been using it around this track.”

Now, a shaft that works for Stenson will not work for someone with a slower swing speed, like most golfers, but hitting a 3-wood off the tee rather than a driver is an idea that everyone can use.

As for Stenson, the question is whether or not he can capitalize on his strong start to finish well on the weekend at the PGA Championship. His attitude is in the right place.

“Confidence level is always going to go up when you manage to accomplish what I did at Troon,” he admitted. “You’re going to feel a bit more self-confident, confident, and trusting yourself more that you can do it again if you’ve done it once. I guess that’s natural and I do feel that.”

He’s not concerned about getting tired. Even if he is, he’ll just keep on going.

“I felt pretty fresh when I got here,” he explained. He had a few days with his family after The Open Championship, so he’s in the right frame of mind as he plays the PGA Championship.

“I expect to be tired at some point, whether it be after this week or after the Olympics. I know I’m going to sleep for a week after the Ryder Cup, there’s no two ways about that,” he added. “But it’s not something that I’m concerned about. I’m just going to try and manage my time on the practice range and make sure I get plenty of rest and sleep.”

As far as another 63, he said, “I can’t guarantee that it’s going to happen again, if I’m in a similar situation. But at least you’ve got the belief that you can do it.”

Next: Baltusrol's Long History With the PGA Tour

Can Henrik Stenson ride his 3-wood all the way to the title at the PGA Championship? Let us know what you think, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now so you never miss a PGA Championship update.

Home/Golf News