Henrik Stenson hopes his injury niggles are behind him as he tees off in his first event of the year at this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The Swede had been plagued by an elbow injury for the last half of 2018 but is feeling good ahead of a new campaign. “I wouldn’t say the elbow is at 100% but it’s getting closer and closer and I’m doing most things that I want in the gym, so I’m happy with the progress.”
Strong start
Stenson is on familiar soil this week and knows a strong start to the season can set him up for another fine year. He has been runner-up twice in Abu Dhabi and is looking forward to the test that lies ahead.
“It always feels good to come back to this part of the world having made it my home for quite a few years in the past and this is where I’ve started my season every year for the last 14 years.”
Stenson is a former winner of the Dubai Desert Classic, DP World Tour Championship and the Qatar Masters, but a win in Abu Dhabi has so far eluded the 42-year-old. “It’s tough to win golf tournaments,” he said. “I feel motivated and fresh and ready to go and they are important ingredients if you are you play well – a good track record in an event is also something that can help.”
New year, new gear
The five-time Ryder Cup star will put the new Callaway Epic Flash driver in play this week and he has been impressed with how the results. “I did some testing in November in Dubai and it felt good – I got good numbers. I hit it yesterday here on the range, and I’m happy with the way it performs and looks and feels, so it’s gone straight in the bag.”
