History charts a catalogue of Ryder Cup captains whose ascension to European golf’s top job coincides with a sudden slide in personal form. It seems Henrik Stenson, as ever, intends doing things a little differently this time around.
The 46-year-old Swede hinted at the green shoots of a long-overdue form reversal on Friday by roaring into contention midway through the latest DP World Tour event.
Given it has come at a tournament he is co-hosting with legendary countrywoman Annika Sörenstam, you might view that in one of three ways: chalk it up to (another) false dawn, familiar surroundings, or perhaps early proof Stenson is comfortable multi-tasking as fresh-faced conductor outside the ropes and grizzled competitor inside them.
With 15 and half months until the 44th Ryder Cup near Rome, European fans still hurting after the 19-9 whipping at Whistling Straits last September will be hoping it’s the latter. Whichever way you look at it, the 2016 Open Champion is irrefutably just four strokes adrift of Aussie pacesetter Jason Scrivener heading into the third round of the €2 million Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed on Saturday.
A second-round 66, full of trademark 3-wood laser beams off the tee and Halmstad Golf Club’s fairways (more on that later), pin-seeking approaches and some creative scrambling, took Stenson to -8 and a five-way share of 7th place in Tylösand.
After a best-of-Friday 64, Scrivener leads the mixed-gender event, co-sanctioned by the Ladies European, at -12 – two shots clear of sweet-swinging Swedish LET player Linn Grant, 19-year-old Italian amateur Carolina Melgrati and Frenchman Mike Lorenzo-Vera.
Scot Craig Howie and Englishman Daniel Gavins will open the third round just three back on -9 but the leaders will surely want to keep tabs on Stenson who is well-positioned in the fifth to last group out to continue his charge up the leaderboard.
How it stands heading into the weekend 📈#VolvoScandinavianMixed
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
“It is nice to be up there,” Stenson said afterwards.
“I have had some good finishes in Sweden over the years, it is one of the tournaments that I would certainly like to win, and I haven’t done, so I am looking forward to the weekend.
“If I am playing well enough we will see but we are at least in with a small chance and that is always going to be nice…that is always a motivator not to be too far off the leaders when you are there for the presentation on Sunday.”
If this is a return to form, it won’t be before time for the Iceman.
After reaching as high as No.2 in 2014, Stenson has drifted out to 241st in the OWGR on the back of a frustrating 50 months. Since the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March 2020, Stenson has missed 22 cuts in 45 starts, withdrawn from two other events and finished inside the top-20 just five times.
His last victory came at Tiger Woods’ (limited field) Hero World Challenge in December 2019 and the last time he seriously contended was when he finished T-4 and 3rd respectively at the D+D Real Czech Masters and the Omega European Masters last August.
All he can do to climb out of the slump is keep doing what he did on Friday. It included a birdie, eagle, bogey, birdie, birdie run from the 10th with the highlight this brilliant 3-wood approach to 11 to set up the eagle:
.@henrikstenson + 3 wood = 🎯
The @RyderCupEurope captain makes eagle and continues his move up the leaderboard.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/AAlDBQw1ad
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
There were also close calls like this:
Vintage @henrikstenson 🙌
Ever so close to a hole out eagle from this week’s co-host.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/jmgkSb1Kyy
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
And this:
Another birdie on the scorecard 💪@henrikstenson continues to make a move up the leaderboard. #VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/00ouPUr85g
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
And deft wedge-working like this:
Shot of the day goes to @henrikstenson 🤯#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/gbwTyqpoJC
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
It all added up to a pretty good day at the office. It was a poignant one too as Stenson got to share the second round with home hero Peter Hanson who was making his final DP World Tour appearance before retirement.
Pal Stenson paid tribute to Hanson, who finished four-over to miss the cut.
“It is a long and successful career, part of two winning Ryder Cup teams and six wins on the DP World Tour and some other really good finishes.
“So I wish him the best in the life after professional golf and it was fun to be out with him and to be able to finish on home soil with the crowds is certainly the cherry on the cake.”
A career to remember 🇸🇪
An emotional Peter Hanson after his 25 year career comes to an end. #VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/gG564rlqps
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
“This is nice. Some sweet memories here” 🙌
Peter Hanson watches his best moments of his career.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/ngKbXSoBm8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 10, 2022
