EUROPE
Happy birthday Henrik Stenson
By Josh Carr On April 5, 2020 2:00 UTC
Appearing five times for Team Europe at The Ryder Cup, Henrik Stenson is no stranger to golf’s greatest stage.
In fact, on his debut at The 2006 Ryder Cup, it was the 145th Open Champion who holed the winning putt when he beat Vaughan Taylor 4&3, which saw Europe win the biennial event for the third consecutive time.
As the Swede turns 44 today, we take a look back on his latest appearance as part of Team Europe at The 2018 Ryder Cup.
Stenson was named as one of Thomas Bjørn’s Captain’s picks for the contest at Le Golf National, Paris, assuring his place on the side for a third consecutive match.
And what a performance it was from the former Race to Dubai Champion as he won all three of the matches he was involved in – a feat only bettered by Francesco Molinari who won five matches from five to also attain a 100 per cent record.
Paired alongside Englishman Justin Rose, with whom he had played six matches with for Team Europe previously, including going unbeaten in three matches in 2014, the European duo rekindled that Gleneagles form at Le Golf National.
Europe found themselves trailing 3-1 at the start of the second session of the day, but the afternoon session saw Team Europe win all four matches – spearheaded by the Stenson and Rose partnership.
In the opening match of the afternoon foursomes session, the duo comfortably despatched of the US pairing of Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.
The pair would once again link up in the afternoon foursomes the following day, this time against Johnson and Brooks Koepka – who were then World Number One and World Number Three.
However, this didn’t stop the strong European pair as they walked off 2&1 winners to help Europe take a commanding 10-6 lead heading into the Sunday singles matches.
And it very nearly could have been Stenson who secured the winning point once again for Team Europe, however Molinari’s 4&2 victory over Phil Mickelson moments before the Swede comfortably beat Bubba Watson 5&4 made sure The Ryder Cup stayed on European soil.
Playing a total of 19 matches for Team Europe and picking up 11 points, all that’s left to say is grattis på födelsedagen Henrik!