HENRIK STENSON << STENSON'S BACK ON TOP Richard Bevan talks exclusively to The Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson about the roller-coaster journey that saw him slide from the top five in the World down to 230th before a scintillating run in some of this summer’s biggest events put him back where he belongs among the World’s top 10. T’S August 2011 and while his European golden goose at the top table in Atlanta. He cuts and US PGA Tour peers are contesting a dejected figure. Yet things are about to get a lot the final Major of the season in the worse before they get better – his World Ranking USPGA Championship at the Atlanta eventually bottoms out at a lowly 230th after a Athletic Club in Georgia, Henrik dismal run of results that show no sign of ending. Stenson is being blown off course by howlingI winds over four and a half thousand AST forward two years and things couldn’t be miles away in his local club championship at Fmore different. I catch up with a positively Barseback Golf Club in Loddekopinge, Sweden. buoyant Stenson who’s just finished third at last To make matters worse, he loses by a shot month's US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country to his somewhat less famous namesake Henrik Club – his fourth top-four in as many events, Hilford Brander after shooting 12-over for 54 following a remarkable run which has taken in the holes. It’s a new low in a career that had been Scottish Open (tied third), The Open (runner- in free fall for the previous 13 months. up) and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (tied It wasn’t so long ago that that the towering second), as well as his sterling showing at Oak Hill. Swede was tipped to be the ‘next big He’s leading The Race to Dubai and is back in thing’ after claiming such prestigious prizes the World’s Top 10. He looks much happier on as the 2007 WGC-Accenture Match Play course and is right up there in the stats for driving Championship in Arizona and The 2009 Players accuracy, greens in regulation and scoring average Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Florida. – proving he's got his game in great shape, as well Back then he reached the lofty heights of fourth as being in the best physical condition of his career. in the Official World Golf Ranking but since a tied Helping to piece together the '2013 model third in The 2010 Open Championship he hasn’t Henrik Stenson' has been a team effort between been able to buy a top 10 finish and he’s slid out golf coach Pete Cowen, sports psychologist of the top 100 to 130th – hence the absence of Torsten Hansson, and physio Cornel Driessen. an invitation to the ball while his friends chase the The scary thing for his rivals is – he still thinks 20 | WorldwideGolf - September 2013 WorldwideGolf - September 2013 | 21 HENRIK STENSON << Left: Henrik weighs up his shot into the final green at last year's Unbelievable DP World Tour Championship where he finished seventh. power delivery Henrik's 3-wood goes further than most Tour professional's drivers there’s plenty of room for improvement. US PGA TOUR “I owe a lot of credit to my team,” says STATS Stenson. “I’ve obviously put a lot of hours Driving Distance in myself but they’ve helped out. I feel like 290.4 72nd I’ve got a really good team around me and Driving Accuracy 69.49% 6th everyone’s pushing in the same direction. Greens in Regulation All the small elements from each one add 70.72% 2nd together to create the bigger picture. Strokes Gained - Putting “It’s exciting, it’s been a great run. I’m 0.000 106th enjoying making great results and I still feel Eagles (Holes per) I’ve got a lot to improve on – there are a lot 108.0 4th of areas where I know I can become better. Birdie Average Hopefully, I’m going to be challenging 3.42 88th even more when I work on those things.” Scoring Average 69.356 4th Having revived his working relationship with former long-time psychologist Hansson last summer, Stenson believes the fruits of their efforts began to show at Merion in June during the US Open, where he finished in a tie for 21st place. The pair set out to draw a line under the downward spiral that was engulfing “IT’S EXCITING; IT’S BEEN A GREAT RUN. I’M ENJOYING the player and made a commitment MAKING GREAT RESULTS AND I STILL FEEL I’VE GOT A LOT to a gradual, long-term improvement different areas and work towards them.” but there were certain areas that were a Above: Stenson in World after being at a really low point. rather than frantically chopping and TO IMPROVE ON – THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS WHERE I The same patient approach has been little bit behind so we’ve been working on action in the final Regarding the slump I went through in round at Castle changing things in a bid to find answers. taken in the work Henrik has done with them. With golf being a one-sided sport 2011, I wasn’t playing as badly as I was KNOW I CAN BECOME BETTER. HOPEFULLY, I’M GOING TO BE Stuart en-route to a “I’ve been able to sustain a level-headed CHALLENGING EVEN MORE WHEN I WORK ON THOSE THINGS.” every member of his backroom team. you’re always going to take more strain on share of third place back in 2002. I wasn’t nearly as low. approach to my game and stick to my game Englishman Cowen has been by his either your left side or your right side so in the Scottish Open. “Of course, I was frustrated. I’d won The plan, be decisive, be patient and have all side since 2001, “Pete's been with me you need to balance up the other side. Players Championship in '09 with a great the good traits that you want to have when when I was fourth in the world and when "We’ve also done some long-term work final round and then in 2011 I’m fighting you’re playing well,” he says. “I’ve been able I was 230th, and now we’re back up in on mobility, which is obviously important. Top right: Henrik to make cuts – it’s not really going to to keep doing them, so mentally I’ve been the top 10 again, so he’s always been That’s paid off. I feel like I’m in a lot better holds his runners- cheer you up. Of course the frustration is very stable for the last two or three months. by my side – I’ve always trusted him. shape than I was a year and a half ago.” up plate at The going to build up – you’re not delivering “That’s been key. The most important "He knows what I need to do and I When he romped home with a stunning Open at Muirfield. to the standard that you know you can.” "I'd love to become thing that I've got together with Torsten to know, too, but at times we haven’t been final-round 66 to blow the field away Stenson insists there was no one the first Swede to look at my long-term approach to my game, able to get it together yet we’ve been and win one of the biggest titles in golf win a Major, but particular reason for his loss in form but and the processes I go through. If you’re not getting closer and closer in the last year.” at The Players Championship four years more importantly, rather – just like when the going is good getting the right results in tournaments it’s Physio and physical conditioning coach ago, nobody, least of all the man himself, I just want to – it was a combination of various factors. easy to start running around chasing your Driessen is a relatively new member of would have believed that a year later win a Major," “It’s mental, it’s technical, it’s physical,” says Stenson. tail looking for solutions. You’re willing to the team and Stenson believes their his form and confidence would begin he says. “Everything kind of goes hand try one thing one day and something else work together has been crucial in the epic slide that would eventually see in hand. Every part is involved when the next to try and make things happen giving him the balanced-strength and him drop outside the World's Top 200. you’re playing badly and every part is but that’s just not the formula for success. stamina to compete at the top end of Such a turnaround in fortunes would involved when you’re playing good. “Even though, at 37-years of age, I already the leaderboard week in, week out. be tough for anyone to deal with. Did he “Sometimes certain players have gone know that, sometimes you end up back “I had a meniscus operation at the end ever consider throwing the towel in? through tough times outside the golf in that state anyway. So I think that’s the of 2011 so when we started we did a bit of “No I never thought about quitting,” course and that’s going to impact on your best thing we’ve done – to look at all the rehab on my left knee,” he says.