‘Haven’t Had Anyone Step Up to Me Personally’: LIV Defector Dismisses Attempts of Backlash Over His Acrimonious Return to DP Tour Event

Months after his acrimonious decision to switch to the LIV Golf Series, Henrik Stenson returns to the DP Tour. The Swede’s exit was a major blow, considering he was appointed Team Europe’s captain for the Ryder Cup slated to be held this year. But by his own admission, the 46-year-old hasn’t faced any backlash yet at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, DP Tour’s inaugural event of the new season.

Henrik Stenson chalks out his reaction to DP Tour return

In the face of the LIV controversy and jet lag, Stenson’s performance was a satisfactory one as he posted a score of 4-under 68 in the first round. The Swede later talked about the response he received from his colleagues over the week.

Read more: ‘It Was Never the Case’: Sacked European Ryder Team Captain Dismisses Troublesome Speculations Owing to His Move to LIV Golf

“The way I look at it is obviously when all of us went and played the PGA Tour back in the day we shouldn’t have been welcomed back either then,” he said. “There’s multiple tours in the world, and as far as I’m concerned, as long as you fulfil your criteria and earn the right to be there, you should be able to play in as many tournaments as you like.”

“But I haven’t had anyone step up to me personally and vent those thoughts. I haven’t played since the Scottish Open last summer. It’s been a while so there are a lot of guys I haven’t seen for a long, long time. It’s been good to catch up with some long-time friends. It’s been a great week so far,” Stenson further added.

Why was Stenson dropped from Team Europe captaincy?

One of the more experienced players for Europe in the Ryder Cup, Stenson was handed the prestigious role of captaincy for his continental side. But merely four months in charge, the Swede was relieved of his duties due to his switch to the LIV Golf Series.

The Saudi-backed league has been against odds with the traditional golf tours, with the PGA Tour banning players who made the switch. While the DP Tour has allowed LIV players to make an appearance, it hasn’t been without its fair share of controversies, most notably in the BMW PGA Championship last year.

While Stenson has received a mild response so far, expect that to change with the competition heating up over the weekend.

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