Abu Dhabi: Henrik Stenson has consigned the frustrations of a winless 2015 to the past and is determined to begin “a mammoth year” for golf in style with a first victory at next week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.
The world number five told Gulf News in an interview that he has high hopes for 2016 and feels in prime shape after undergoing minor knee surgery last month.
He is particularly relishing the prospect of playing for Team Sweden at the Rio Olympics in the summer – in what will be golf’s maiden appearance at the Games – and helping Europe defend the Ryder Cup in the United States in September.
But first, the 39-year-old Swede will be bidding to secure the Falcon Trophy at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, a prize that has eluded him in 10 previous years playing here since the tournament began – including two runners-up spots.
“I came so close to winning out here in 2006 and 2008 and I’ll admit that there is a Falcon-sized gap in my trophy cabinet that I’d dearly love to fill,” Stenson, who missed the cut last year to finish 81st, said. “The National course gets a little bit tougher each year and the Championship has become one of the most coveted on the Tour, which makes me even more determined to try and win the event.”
Stenson feels perfectly at home in the UAE, having lived in Dubai for 10 years and after winning the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic and the 2013 and 2014 DP World Tour Championship.
“For the last couple of years now, people have been saying I will be the first player to complete the Gulf Slam and I haven’t played great here over the past couple of season, so I’ll be trying extra hard to change that.”
“I can’t believe this is my 11th year playing at the National course; it only seems like yesterday when we came here for the first time in 2006,” he continued. “I lived in the Gulf for 10 years and I love desert golf, so it is just somewhere that I feel comfortable starting my year because I enjoy the layout and am always impressed with its condition – the greens are some of the finest we play on the Tour.
“HSBC have done a tremendous job in taking this event to the next level by adding more elements to it, from the grandstands to the Championship Village, and if they continue to encourage more people to come out and watch us, the event is only going to continue to grow.”
Stenson is arguably one of the best players never to have won one of the four golf Majors, his best finish being second place at the 2013 British Open, but feels under no pressure to rectify this.
“I’ve had a good number of top-five finishes in the Majors over the last two or three years and know if I play well I can challenge, so all I’m trying to do is to prepare like I would for any event and if it comes together on the week, I’ll be extremely happy,” he added. “Aside from the Majors, as a European golfer in a Ryder Cup year, another goal has to be to make that team and with golf coming back in to the Olympics, I’d obviously love to be part of Team Sweden too, so there is a lot for me to target.”
Stenson holed the winning putt in 2006 as Europe won the Ryder Cup, the biennial showdown against the United States, for the third consecutive time.
Two years later, he was on the losing side as the US overcame the Europeans on home soil but again tasted success as part of Paul McGinley’s victorious 2014 squad.
Of his hopes for more continental glory, he said: “2016 is setting up to be a mammoth year for golf and The Ryder Cup is definitely a big part of that. Playing for Team Europe is one of my proudest golfing moments and if I am lucky enough to compete in my fourth match, I’ll be an extremely happy man.
“The crowds in Scotland in 2014 were monumental and I’m sure it will be the same in America as they try to win back the trophy.”
Reflecting on an underwhelming 2015 campaign, Stenson said: “Obviously my goal each week is to win the golf tournament, so to be winless during the year is a little frustrating but when I break down my performances, I think I can look back and safely say that I played some really good golf and was simply beaten by some exceptional golf on both the European and PGA Tour. In 2015, I finished runner-up six times and managed to maintain my world ranking position of being in the top five, so if I can add a few more titles this year, starting with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, I should be in a strong position heading in to a big year.”
Stenson stressed the recent surgery he underwent – “my right knee had been going in the wrong direction” – would not adversely affect him.
“I had a similar thing done to my other knee in December 2011 and was still able to play here in 2012, so, it’s definitely still playable. The theory behind me doing it now was just as a bit of a precaution with the Olympics and Ryder Cup coming up so I could clean it up and get some rehab now, rather than have to take breaks in the middle of the season if it goes bad.”
