Stenson always in the thick of it at the big ones

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Henrik Stenson has quickly proven himself to be a big-tournament player.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- He brought it up. Honest.

He told us about the girls cheering at the 17th hole. And for more than just a solid 9-iron onto the green.

And then there was brain coach Bob Rotella, who met his dad last week and couldn't resist asking if it was a family thing.

Stenson through 36 holes

Stats Rd. 1 Rd. 2 Total Eagles 1 -- 1 Birdies 4 5 9 Pars 11 11 22 Bogeys 2 2 4 Double bogeys -- -- 0 Other -- -- 0 Driving accuracy 36 71 53.6 Driving distance 288.0 297.0 292.5 Putts per round 26 24 25.0 Putts per GIR 1.615 1.500 1.565 Greens in REG 72 56 63.9 Sand saves 50 0 25.0

Henrik Stenson grinned. He's fine talking about his hunk moment. You know, the day a few months ago when he stripped to his boxer-briefs and hit a shot out of the water at the third hole on Doral's Blue Monster. During the first round of the World Golf Championships-CA Championship.

And, yes, he's aware some folks were not amused. "Not everyone,'' he smiled, "has a sense of humor.''

Things have died down a tad since that March morning when he handed his clothes to caddie Fanny Sunesson and waded in. He's turned down one underwear offer because he's under contract to BOSS, who makes both his clothes and underwear. And he gets teased -- even by his brain coach.

But the bottom line? "If they didn't know me for my good results, they know me now.''

The way he's going, it won't be long until the 33-year-old Swede is a short-lister at every major. He tied for 38th at the Masters, which snapped a two-major, top-5 string -- a tie for fourth at the Open Championship and a tie for third at the PGA Championship. And he's finished tied for third, tied for 24th and tied for 10th at his first three PLAYERS Championships.

And for his fourth? Stenson tossed out a 69 Friday on the Stadium Course to settle into a tie for third at 7-under-par 137 -- four shots behind leader Alex Cejka -- going into the weekend. It would have been a shot better had he not picked the wrong club at the 239-yard eighth hole -- his 17th -- and come up short in the bunker and bogeyed.

"I played a 5 wood today, and I played with J.B. Holmes,'' Stenson said. "When he's hitting a rescue on a par 3 you know it's a couple of yards too far for I mean, just in general, everybody can see how difficult and tricky a hole like 17 can be, so I think we just want to have more par 3s which is between 5 and 7 iron or something like that, and some tricky bunkers and hazards if need be. It's kind of boring with these 240-yard par 3s. Pars and bogeys aren't too exciting for anybody.''

Stenson, who opened with a 68, has been on a world tour since the Masters. He went from there to play in Korea, then stopped in Dubai on the way here to check in on his residence there. "I slept two full nights on those flights,'' he said.

He also went from playing on the slick Augusta National greens to winds whipping 45 miles an hour in Korea and greens running a sluggish 8 on the stimpmeter. Now here where they're firm, fast and will likely get faster this weekend.

"It's going to be hard to get close to the pins, and you've just got to have a ton of patience and keep plodding away, give yourself chances,'' Stenson said. "I've been putting very well so far, so hopefully I can keep that up, and as I said, I've had a ton of patience these first two days and I need to have more the next two days.

"... I'd like to be in this position when the back nine comes Sunday.''

Stenson was 2 under for the day coming into the 18th -- his ninth hole -- and dumped the ball in the water. But he rebounded with good birdie putts at the first and second holes to keep his round going.

"I was putting phenomenally yesterday and really turned maybe a 71 into 68 or something like that with the putting,'' he said. "I was putting solid today, as well, and made some important putts. You know, it's a course where it can come up and bite you. It's a great risk reward course, one of my favorites.

"The only thing I might not be the best out of is the Bermuda because I'm not brought up on it and it takes slightly different shots sometimes to play out of this type of grass. But I think I'm learning and hopefully becoming better and better at it.''

Stenson worked with a Swedish sports psychologist for 11 years, then took a break for a few years. He called Rotella this spring.

"It's good to have someone to discuss things with,'' he said.

And, to keep things light.

Rotella hit Ingemar Stenson with his briefs question on the latter's 60th birthday last Friday. And, if you must know, everyone laughed.