The 28-year-old opted for “neutral” when asked to describe his 2016 campaign in one word, but feels he can find top gear once more at Baltusrol, especially after Monday’s thunderstorm recalled the soft conditions which prevailed for his breakthrough US Open victory at Congressional in 2011.
Advertisement
“It just goes to show on a week-to-week basis that if anyone who is really there pitches up with their A Game, they have got a good chance of winning”. Steffen played practice rounds with Mickelson before the 2005 PGA Championship and offered advice on the nuances of the lower course.
“When you’ve got the momentum and you’re playing well, it might not be bad to get straight back at it”, said Stenson, who will tee off with Willett and Johnson from the first hole in the opening round at 1:45 in the afternoon.
“I’ve got a little perfectionist in there that’s always been pushing me forward and that can both make me and break me at times, when you’re striving to be your best”.
“I’ve just got to get back into my game and pay attention to all the little things that are important to play good golf for me”.
“As for a grade, I’d say like a B- maybe”.
“I would have thought that’s the flawless way to end”, caddie Gareth Lord said to him.
Stenson became the fourth straight first-time major victor, going back to Jason Day at last year’s PGA.
Defending champion Jason Day got his first look at Baltusrol on Wednesday – one day before the start of the PGA Championship.
World number one Day, American Jordan Spieth and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy had been expected by some to establish themselves as ‘the big three’ in the sport, after winning five of eight majors in 2014 and 2015 between them.
“I’d love to sit here and say I’m going to win a major every year”, he said. “I could retire at 40 and be very happy”, he said. And they haven’t tinkered with the finish, which is obviously one of the best finishes we play on Tour. “It’s hard. It’s so deep [on the PGA Tour] but I guess ’11, ’12, ’13, ’14, in that stretch of four years, I averaged a major a year”, he said.
“I didn’t really have much going on Saturday morning until the ceremony started at 3 (o’clock)”, said McIlroy.
“It’s a boyhood dream come true and something I wanted to achieve all my life, and then it finally happened”, said Stenson, the first Swede to win a men’s golf major. “I think he felt like he played as well as he did in the last Open (that he won) at Muirfield”. Mickelson, off an inspiring runner-up finish to Henrik Stenson in the British two weeks ago, won the PGA at Baltusrol in 2005.
“So yeah, I’m delighted and at the same time, we’re in the middle of a big season”.
“Not going to lie to you, I’ve been checking the board since to see if anyone’s got up close to me”, the four-time major victor said.
And the last time he was at Baltusrol, he won a major that backed up his prior win at the Masters and even helped him secure another green jacket.
“So it’s been a good tournament for me”. He would trail only fellow 46-year-olds Jack Nicklaus from the 1986 Masters and Old Tom Morris from the 1867 British Open and the record of age 48 by Julius Boros at the 1968 PGA Championship.
All players had the opportunity to hit one tee shot on the first hole, with the distance measured as long as the ball finished on the fairway.
The British Open two weeks ago showed how hard it is to win.
By his own standards 2016 has been a less than stellar year for John Senden bit it doesn’t take much to turn things around at this level and the Queenslander’s final round 67 in Canada on Sunday might be just the boost he needs.
Advertisement
“No matter what I finish, I don’t care if I finish dead last”. Now all he has to do is go out and play like the same guy who just shot 20-under. I’m going to a different event every single night, and then golf gets in the way. I’ve got to manage that the best I can.
