Stenson Soars into First at Arnold Palmer Invitational


No. 3-ranked Henrik Stenson fired a 6-under 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. The $6.3 million PGA Tour event is taking place at Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Orlando.

After carding two birdies on the front nine, the 38-year-old Swede posted five straight pars before closing with two birdies and an eagle - on the par-5 16th hole - to reach 16-under 200, two strokes ahead of 36-hole leader Morgan Hoffman.

Stenson has played well of late, but the eight-time European Tour winner knows there's one more round to go before he logs his second PGA Tour victory.

"Got to go out tomorrow and keep the same game plan and mindset from the past few rounds," said Stenson, who won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2007.

After opening with rounds of 66 and 65, the 26-year-old Hoffman got off to a rocky start with two bogeys on the outward nine. He rebounded on the home half, however, with three birdies for a 71.

Lurking three strokes behind Stenson are Americans Jason Kokrak (65), Ben Martin (68) and Matt Every (69), and Australian Matt Jones (67). Every, the defending champion, had five birdies and two bogeys.

Alone in seventh at 205 is Sean O'Hair (68), while tied for eighth at 206 are Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who matched Kokrak for Saturday's low round of 65, and Americans Brendan Steele (68), Kevin Na (69) and Harris English.

Sharing 12th another stroke back are Americans D.A. Points (67) and Keegan Bradley (69), South African Louis Oosthuizen (70), New Zealand's Danny Lee (71) and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy (71).

Top-ranked McIlroy pulled within a shot of the lead thanks to four birdies through 13 holes. But the 25-year-old bogeyed Nos. 14-16 to come home at 1-under par.

Daniel Berger had the shot of the day. The 21-year-old Floridian became the first player in tournament history to make an albatross after canning his second shot from 237 yards on the par-5 sixth hole. "I was kind of right in between going for it and not going for it," said Berger, who carded 68 and is at 7-under. "Little bit of a downhill lie. You know my caddie gave me the confidence to go for it."

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