A year ago, Henrik Stenson’s Masters aspirations were being undermined by the fatigue associated with a stunning end to 2013. He cut an agitated figure, doubtless aware that his aspirations of claiming a maiden major at a course that suits his game perfectly would have to wait.
Stenson’s Augusta National performance was hardly a disaster – he finished in a share of 14th – but a failure to break 70 over four rounds still proved a frustration. When he is frustrated, Stenson can flit between varying forms of on-course rage, often to the fatal detriment of his golf club shafts.
His season was to improve thereafter, the Swede finishing in a tie for fourth and third at the US Open and USPGA Championship respectively. He also eased to victory at the European Tour’s season finale in Dubai.
This time, Stenson’s Masters credentials appear stronger than ever. In the words of the 38-year-old, he is “in a better place”.
He is No3 in the world – an imminent return to second is likely, given the late withdrawal of Bubba Watson from this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational – and arrived at Bay Hill with a record of no worse than fourth-placed finishes in his past three events. An opening round of 68 here, during which he did not drop a single shot, merely endorsed Stenson’s return to prominence.
“I’m definitely playing better at this time than I did last year,” Stenson, right, explained. “There’s never any guarantees but I feel like I had a good break there, leading into these five out of [playing] six weeks. I got some better practise done.
“I’m putting better, that’s for sure, and my short game has been all right. Ball striking has actually been the one thing that’s not maybe been as solid as it normally is but I’m still in a decent spot and still got some time to try and tweak it week by week so I’m happy with the progress and looking forward to the golf ahead.” And what of Georgia?
“It is definitely on my mind,” Stenson admitted. “I am trying to keep the mindset that I want to have at Augusta, trying to keep that for these weeks leading up and for every competitive round because it’s not like you’re going to all of a sudden be able to turn things up unless you’ve done it before.
“You just have to be a little bit extra patient and just make sure that mentally you’re doing what you should do. If you’re a bit sloppy in that department then it’s going to be harder to turn it on when you really want to play your best.
“We want to play our best and be in contention and try and win every week. There’s just certain tournaments you want it more; Augusta and the other majors are some of those.”
On a day whichthat proved notable because of the slow pace on the Bay Hill greens -– as acknowledged by a number of competitors -– Stenson was not alone as a high-profile player with a fast start. Adam Scott matched that four-under-par score, as did Billy Horschel, Keegan Bradley and Harris English.
Bradley has adopted a novel approach to dealing with the upcoming ban on the anchoring of a putter. The 2011 USPGA champion has retained the same club he used to wedge into his stomach, cutting it down only slightly, rather than change to a completely new putter.
“Every round I play, I feel more comfortable with my set-up, my routine,” Bradley said. “It is very awkward, very different so I’ve given up thousands of rounds, thousands of hours of practice to these guys out here. I’m gaining some of those back now.”
Bradley echoed the sentiment of Rory McIlroy from a day before, by insisting Tiger Woods could return at Augusta from his current self-imposed exile and claim another Green Jacket.
“He could go out and win,” Bradley said. “For me, it would be a huge struggle. Tiger is able to take long periods of time off and come back strong. So, it wouldn’t surprise me if he comes back strong.”
Davis Love III, the United States Ryder Cup captain for 2016 at Hazeltine, showed his playing days are not yet on the back burner as he carded 69. There was a 70 for Sam Saunders, Palmer’s grandson and the player who would provide one of the finest golfing stories in recent memory were he to prevail in this Orlando suburb.
