Stenson claims win with late birdies

Sweden's Henrik Stenson ended a three-year barren spell with a four-stroke victory in The Heritage on Sunday to take his second European Tour title.

Stenson fired a closing 66 to finish at 19 under par, four clear of Spain's Carlos Rodiles, and claim the $400,000 first prize.

The tournament to commemorate the retirement of the European tour's executive director Ken Schofield after 30 years' service always looked likely to produce a Swedish winner, with Stenson leading compatriot Patrik Sjoland by a stroke overnight.

Rodiles, though, came from five strokes off the lead to threaten Stenson before the winner's four birdies over the last five holes ended the Spanish challenge.

Rodiles's round of 65 relegated Sjoland to third place, six shots behind his compatriot. Denmark's Anders Hansen finished fourth, a further stroke back.

Stenson, 28, was once regarded as part of a new Swedish generation to challenge for titles and Ryder Cup places but his form plummeted after winning the 2001 Benson and Hedges International in his rookie year.

A year later he finished a lowly 176th on the European money-list and decided to turn to coach Peter Cowen, who helped Lee Westwood win six titles in 2000 to finish as European number one.

Stenson moved up to 68th in the rankings in 2003 and finished second in this year's Scandinavian Masters.

While he did not lead the Heritage from start to finish, four rounds in the 60s and the nerve to hold off Rodiles showed how much the Swede's game has improved.

"My confidence was very low and at times I wondered what I was doing out here," Stenson told reporters. "Some stay to fight the battle and some give up.

"I'm glad I stayed and got back in the winner's enclosure."

Rodiles recorded his third career runner-up place.

Since finishing second in the elite Volvo Masters at the end of last season, the Malaga man has taken most of this year recovering from a broken rib and languished only 108th on the money-list coming to Woburn.

"I was off for about two and a half months and when I came back I put too much pressure on myself trying to follow up last season," Rodiles said.

Sjoland bettered fourth and fifth place finishes this year as he also tries to make a comeback, having not won since 2000.

Padraig Harrington failed in his bid for a top-eight place to get into the World Matchplay Championship, the Irish Ryder Cup hero finishing only 37th, 15 strokes behind Stenson.

His compatriot Gary Murphy claimed the tour's sixth albatross (double-eagle) of the season and had the best round of the week, a 64, for a ninth-place finish.

It was the other side of the coin for New Zealander Michael Campbell, however, whose dismal closing round of 86 left him bottom of the pile by 15 shots.

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