back in the bigIt wasn’t long ago that Henrik Stensontime was being billed as one of Europe’s potential greats, only for a dip in form to have some, including Golf Monthly, reaching for the career obituary notes as his game slipped into decline. But after victory in the 2012 South African Open, the Swede is finding his best form again. It’s humble pie time... Words Jeremy Ellwood | Portrait Kevin Murray | Photography Getty Images t might be too early to the offending panel. “I never really doubted gear. It’s like, ‘how [much] fun is it going to predict it being the end, and my ability,” he replies when I ask if he’d be to fight it out like crazy for 30th?’ When injury has played a part, but ever feared his game was never coming you’ve been out here as long as I have and I the towering Swede looks a back. “But obviously it can be frustrating have won a number of tournaments, that’s weak imitation of the poised when you go through long periods where the buzz you’re looking for – you want to and powerful player who won The Players you don’t perform the way you know you be up in contention. You know you’re never Championship in 2009 and reached fourth can. I’ve proven to myself and everybody going to win all the time, but you want to in the World Rankings…” else many times that I can compete with have a chance to win. And if you feel like So wrote Golf Monthly in a side panel to a the world’s best when I’m playing well and your game is not going to be in a state where Paul Casey feature last November looking I’m up for it. Of course you’re going to get you’re putting yourself in contention, your at players whose once brilliant games had frustrated when you don’t deliver, but the motivation goes down as well.” seemingly deserted them. A month later, only recipe is hard work and trying to make I admire his honesty, and the fact that he after his management team had expressed things simple.” has indeed put in the hard work required their client’s displeasure to my colleague to turn things back round. “There are no Neil Tappin during the Portugal Masters, FINDING FORM... shortcuts,” he confirms. “You’ve just got to Stenson answered in emphatic style by That last phrase is telling because there must grind it out and start building it up again. claiming the South African Open by three be times when the worse you play, the more I had a big slump back at the end of 2001, shots, his first victory since that 2009 you analyse things, the worse you then play and on in to ’02 and ’03, and I came back Players Championship. Egg on face for the as a result – golf’s dreaded downward spiral. from that and went from playing really, magazine, hence a degree of trepidation But the phrase ‘when I’m playing well and really poorly to being number four in the on my part as I approached him for a chat up for it’ also registers with me, suggesting world. So I’ve made a nice comeback once during the Volvo Golf Champions at Durban times when he perhaps hasn’t been up for it. before, and this dip hasn’t been nearly as Country Club in January. I put this to Stenson. “Well, it kind of goes bad. Two thousand and eleven was a really I needn’t have feared, though, for Stenson hand in hand,” he acknowledges. “When poor season by anyone’s standards, while appeared to have forgiven and forgotten. you feel like you’re struggling, I mean it’s 2010 I saved with 3rd place at The Open, He was immediately approachable, and no fun. You’re travelling halfway across which is obviously not a bad achievement… indeed happy to talk about the 2011 dip in the world and feel like you’re going into a but if you’ve been used to having wins and form which had sparked his inclusion in Formula 1 race and you’ve only got second top fives in a lot of events, then one 50 | golfmonthlysubs.co.uk/subscribe SWEDE SUCCESS Swedish golf doesn’t get enough credit. The official world rankings reveal that from Stenson’s 2009 Players win to 2013, Scandinavia’s largest country has consistently produced top-100 golfers... l The week following Stenson’s victory, there were six Swedes ranked in the top 100. By comparison, Spain and Ireland boasted four each, with Sergio Garcia pipping Stenson for third. l 2010-11 was not quite as good, though Alexander Noren (below) announced his arrival with a win in the European Masters at the close of 2009, Stenson’s second place at the Houston Victory again: Stenson wins and Stenson notched up a top-3 finish Open secured his place in this year’s Masters the South African Open in 2012 in the 2010 Open. good tournament is hard to be satisfied with.” “But I was right on the bubble, and having game I developed back in 2005, ’06, ’07. But I’m just trying to let it go, then it’s like I’ve I’ve ever played, and I think that one gave me l Carl Pettersson won the 2010 One or two health issues didn’t help either, been based in Dubai for so many years I I’ve always been a good driver of the ball and got no kind of interest in it. It’s a tricky one, the confidence I could win any tournament Canadian Open, but slipped to 100th but the first shoots of recovery appeared in really wanted to go back. So that was kind a good long-iron player. That was always but I think a bit of fire in the belly is good if against any field. I shot a bogey-free 66 on a spot after the 2011 Players. This was a spring last year, with the Swede riding high of the key decider – I knew I had to play that the basis of my game, and then it was just a you can channel it right. It doesn’t always very difficult day on a difficult golf course. period dominated by three countries. on the Masters leaderboard early, and then week either in Hong Kong or Johannesburg, question of improving on the scoring part. work out that way unfortunately.” That gave me the confidence that if I can Lee Westwood and Luke Donald ranked again on Saturday night. Things didn’t pan so I kind of listened around. I’ve never At times now I’m relying more on the scoring Maybe, though, that little bit of extra fire put myself in a similar position in a Major one and two, four Americans made the out so well on Sunday, but three consecutive played Hong Kong, which is a short, fiddly and less on the striking…” in the belly really is the key to scaling the full Championship, I don’t see why I shouldn’t top 10 and Graeme McDowell and Rory top 10s in Europe in the BMW International, course, and people said the other one was a Ah, I think, so if you rediscover your very heights in this game, however it chooses to be able to pull it off. So that was a nice boost McIlroy did Northern Ireland proud in French Open and Scottish Open suggested a Jack Nicklaus course where you can stretch best long-game form, you’ll be in an even manifest itself. So if Stenson is to get all the I got from that win. fifth and sixth. corner had been turned. “Yes, spring last year out a bit more, so that made the decision stronger position going forwards? “Yeah,” he way back to where he was, or finally bring there were small improvements in terms of easier for me.” And what a good decision it agrees. “Even though my short game hasn’t home that Major trophy, perhaps he needs to Was it frustrating for you that last season l After the 2012 Players, five Irish and the results,” Stenson nods. “I didn’t play great, turned out to be, with Stenson winning been quite as sharp as it was back then – my add to that YouTube portfolio? ended just as your game was peaking? six Spanish players could be counted but I still managed to make it round the golf pitching and wedge play was as good as it’s Yeah, I had a nice momentum and could in the world’s top 100, and Sweden course in a good way. I had a lot of 15th, 20th “Of course there’s ever been back in ’06 and ’07 – it’s still pretty How good a player was the Henrik Stenson have done with a couple more tournaments. contributed five. Peter Hanson (above) place finishes in the US, then came back to good. And when you get results like I did in who won The Players Championship in 2009? But it’s only a short break these days, even if was best in 24th, and would reach 19th Europe in the summer and had those top 10s. still a lot of room for South Africa and Dubai the week after, you Well, it was a fantastic last round obviously. I didn’t touch a club for three weeks over the by the year’s end after two further wins.