SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Two weeks removed from the round of a lifetime, Henrik Stenson was asked to ponder if he left all he had on the west coast of Scotland, a 10-birdie, final-round 63 just 14 days earlier that produced a major championship trophy and memories to be savored.
The Claret Jug will forever be part of his trophy case, but it was almost unfair to have to gear up for another major championship so soon. With barely any time to rest or recharge, Stenson, 40, gave it a run Sunday at the PGA Championship, a back-nine double bogey finally derailing his hopes of a second straight major championship.
"Of course the week took a lot of energy out of me,'' said Stenson, who shot a final-round 71 to tie for seventh, 6 strokes back of winner Jimmy Walker. "We haven't got time to recharge. Given all that, I'm pretty pleased that I was one of the guys who was up there contending this week. Going to take a lot of positive out of that.
"Mental fatigue or just not my day ... it's hard to say. But I didn't play my best today and I needed to bring a better game today to have a chance.''
It didn't help that Stenson was unable to play any of the third round on Saturday, which was suspended due to heavy rain and dangerous conditions. He never got on the course after opening the tournament with consecutive 67s, and said it was a missed opportunity.
He had to play 36 holes on Sunday -- as did all of those in contention -- and struggled to find any form, even though he shot 67 in the morning to trail Walker by just 2 strokes.
"I didn't bring my game and I didn't make a putt all day, I felt like,'' Stenson said. "Despite that, I thought I was hanging good. I was trying to push, which I had to. I was two or three behind coming into the last five or six holes. ... Probably the best shot of the day, a three-quarter 9-iron, I just overcooked it and went long and I made double and that was the end of it for me.''
That occurred at the par-4 15th, where Stenson was still in the mix, a couple of birdies away from making it interesting. But the double-bogey dropped him back and he played the last three holes in even par.
Stenson won his first major two weeks ago then barely had time to enjoy it, as he went home to Sweden for a few days but was besieged with media requests.
He came to New Jersey feeling that perhaps the momentum would carry over, and it did for a time. "All in all, I'm pretty pleased to come off the win at The Open and then be right up there contending the week after,'' he said.
Now it is back to his home in Orlando for the first time since the win at Royal Troon for a few days before heading to Rio de Janeiro, where he will play in the Olympic golf tournament and participate in the Opening Ceremonies on Friday.