Swedes Stenson and Blixt come up just short

 

PGA.COM August 12, 2013

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 Henrik Stenson (blue shirt) and Jonas Blixt gave Sweden two top-5 finishes on Sunday.(Edward M. Pio …

Watch Henrik Stenson's highlights | Watch Jonas Blixt's highlights

By Stan Awtrey, PGA.com Contributor

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The golf world will have to wait at least one more year to have its first male major champion from Sweden.

Both Henrik Stenson and Jonas Blixt were in contention all day at Oak Hill on Sunday. But they just couldn't get the surge needed to separate themselves from the pack and apply any pressure to leaders Jason Dufner and Jim Furyk.

Competing in the same pairing on Sunday, both players scored even-par 70 to finish the PGA Championship. It leftStenson three back in third place and put Blixt in fourth place, four behind winner Dufner.

Stenson had the best chance to join the leaders. He eagled the fourth hole to pull within a shot of the lead. But he could never get any closer, and any hopes he had were dashed with a bogey on the 14th hole when his tee shot wound up in a divot in the middle of the fairway.

"Happy with my performance. I think I kept it together nicely," Stenson said. "A bit unlucky, ended up making bogey there and that kind of killed the outside chances I had on the back nine to make a charge."

Blixt stumbled early, but made a late charge to get to 8 under after a birdie at No. 14. He bogeyed the final two holes to give up any chance to win.

"I hit some really good shots, hit a lot of good tee balls and got myself in a position to really attack the golf course and attack the lead," Blixt said. "I was a little far back at the time, but you never know in a major what's going to happen."