Despite Being Stripped Off His Captaincy Duty, LIV Defector Henrik Stenson Has Positive Words for His Team Europe Captain Replacement

Jan 19, 2023 | 1:01 PM EST

Despite Being Stripped Off His Captaincy Duty, LIV Defector Henrik Stenson Has Positive Words for His Team Europe Captain Replacement

Jan 19, 2023 | 1:01 PM EST

Though the move from PGA Tour to LIV Golf may not be lawfully wrong, many players have suffered for making the jump. Henrik Stenson, who was previously named as Team Europe’s captain for this year’s Ryder Cup, was stripped off his position for his move to the lucrative Tour. In a recent interview, the Swedish golfer shared his thoughts on the new European captain and also about the upcoming International competition.

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Stenson is currently competing at the European Tour’s HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship. The golfer along with other LIV defectors was ignored for the event’s pro-am tournament.

Despite not having practice rounds at Yas Links, Henrik Stenson had an impressive first round at the DP World Tour event. He shot four birdies and an eagle to record a score of 68. After his impressive round, the golfer had some words to share about the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Henrik Stenson talks about his replacement

Before the beginning of the second round, the 46-year-old LIV defector stands tied for 12th position. However, before he competes for much bigger stakes on Friday, Stenson had a deep discussion after the first round. The Swede was asked if he regrets making the move to LIV Golf, which eventually led to him being stripped off Team Europe’s captaincy.

“No, I made my decision and obviously Ryder Cup Europe made theirs,” he said. “Yeah, it’s not great, but it is what it is”. Stenson then shared some wise words for Ryder Cup and Luke Donald, who replaced him to take the captaincy duties of the European team.

The 2016 Open Championship winner added, “The Ryder Cup has been a huge part of my career, so I wish Luke all the best with the team going forward”. Stenson ends by hoping for a better future as he said, “We’ll see where we all end up in the long run with this”.

The news of the sacking of the Swedish golfer from the 2023 Ryder Cup was received with mixed reactions. Nonetheless, it’s great to see Stenson moving on and not holding any grudges for his Team’s decision. After all, he’s won three Ryder Cups with fellow Europeans and doesn’t want to ruin it for his one big decision.

What are your thoughts on Stenson being sacked from Team Europe? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Written by

Abdul Bari Khan

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Abdul Bari is a seasoned golf writer at EssentiallySports with an impressive portfolio of over 700 articles. Abdul has ‘putted’ his way into the EssentiallySports Hall of Fame with his in-depth coverage of the sport. One of Abdul's career highlights at ES was his article on Phil Mickelson's potential penalty, which received widespread praise from golf enthusiasts worldwide. Off the course, Abdul is an avid golfer himself, often found perfecting his swing on the local green. He has a particular fondness for a powerful tee shot, and his admiration for Cameron Smith stems from the player's exceptional putting and calm short approach.

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Manaal Siddiqui