Everything Henrik Stenson touched in the second half of 2013, turned into gold. He dominated on the PGA Tour and not even an injured wrist could prevent him from winning the Race to Dubai and becoming the European No1.
This week at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, Stenson will find out whether he still retains the Midas touch. The 37-year-old Swede starts the year at a career-best ranking of third in the world and becoming No1 is a distinct possibility.
In his first interview of the New Year, Stenson spoke to Sport360° on various issues; including how he plans to approach the 2014 season, his goals and why money is not the biggest motivation for him.
Be honest and tell us what your first thoughts were on January 1 morning – sad that 2013 was over, or happy to welcome 2014?
I can tell you that Gareth (Lord, his caddie) was crying when he got up. He did not want 2013 to end.
I did talk to my family about what a fabulous year we have had. But I was OK.
Gareth and me have an expression between us: The ball does not know what we did yesterday. So, whatever good thing I did last year or before that, it is just an experience now. It’s time to move on. I have to do better than what I did if I have to win again.
How was your break? Did you try to practice?
It was a complete shutdown from the Thai Golf Championship onwards. I did not touch my clubs except for packing them to come here.
There’s obviously some rust, but both the body and the brain needed a bit of rest after what was a long year. I would have loved another week of rest and one week of practice before starting my season, but I did not want to miss the Desert Swing.
I have not missed any Desert Classic or Qatar Open since 2001, and the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship since the year it started. They should give me some kind of award for being their most loyal player ever.
Are you the type of person who makes New Year resolutions?
No. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. And I go to the gym regularly. Once those three things are taken care of, there is not much left to make resolutions.
How are you planning to approach 2014?
A big thing for me this year would be to manage my own expectation. I know it would be difficult to have a season like I had last year.
I am going to try very hard and extend that run, but I have got to be realistic. Another key thing for me would be to manage my body. There have been a couple of niggles already last year.
Which brings us to the one thing all your fans want to know – how is that wrist of yours?
It is a lot better, but then I haven’t played any golf these last few weeks and the rest helps.It’s not going to go away just like that. Let me put it this way, it’s not the last that I have heard of the wrist.
You reaped the rewards of a fantastic year. You made loads of money, and you won countless awards. But you did not win the Swedish Sportsman of the Year award. Did that hurt?
Well…I really can’t complain. It’s difficult to compare the achievements of two golfers, let alone between two different sports. Different countries have different favourite sports and skiing is definitely more popular than golf in Sweden. It is shown a lot on TV and we have rich history in skiing.
But Johan Olsen did a fantastic thing. He won the 50k cross-country ski world championship in stunning way. He pulled away from the pack after just 10k and held on all by himself over the next 40k.
It is what it is. I am not disappointed. I know what I have achieved and I have been well appreciated by the golfing community.
The one award that really stands out for me is European Golfer of the Year. To win it ahead of someone like Justin Rose, who won a Major championship, is something special.
Everyone talks about the $20 million plus you made last year. How did you reward yourself?
Honestly, I haven’t had the time to reward myself. But I have made plans of going down to Bahamas with some friends and have a nice vacation. That’s it really.
In terms of material things, I have nice cars and I have just finished a nice house in Sweden and we are almost finishing a nice house in Florida. Perhaps I can eat tenderloins for breakfast, lunch and dinner! In the end, you can only do so much with money.
But honestly, I am beyond the money bit. It’s no longer the motivation for me. I am not saying I don’t appreciate the nice prize cheques, but even on the final day of the FedEx Cup, I am serious when I say I was thinking of beating guys like Tiger Woods and Adam Scott. I wasn’t making the putts thinking of a $10m cheque. I just wanted to win the tournament.
You have spoken highly of your team each time, but tell us a bit about the contribution of your wife Emma?
You are right. I have given the team a lot of credit, but I don’t think I have thanked her enough. Being a very good golfer herself, she really understands what I am going through.
She and the entire family have been very supportive of me and I could not have done without them. You cannot become the best in your business without making certain sacrifices, and in our case, we are not able to give enough time to our families. In such a scenario, you do need a partner who understands all this.
It’s easy to remember all the people who are directly connected to your game, like the caddie, the coaches and the physios. But the role of the family cannot be underestimated.
What’s the big difference you feel from where you were in June 2013?
I think the biggest difference is the pressure I have for my time. There is a lot more demand now and I have to make sure that I manage my time better in the future.
It’s not just the media and sponsors, but there are fans and club members who want to take photos with you and so on. I really don’t like to disappoint anyone, but I also have to make sure that I get enough time for practice. I don’t want to lose my focus from golf.
How is your schedule shaping up for this year?
It’s going to be pretty similar. I am trying to cut a couple of tournaments, but it would be difficult because I am playing on two Tours. But I know my body has given me loud hints that I cannot keep playing 31 tournaments in a year for too long.
Finally, what would make you happy this year – a Major win, becoming world No1, or a Ryder Cup spot that you are almost assured of?
I don’t think Usain Bolt would have been quicker out of the blocks than I was in the Ryder Cup race. That’s locked after I won three times as soon as the qualification started. I am really looking forward to being part of the team in Gleneagles.
The Majors…well, that’s like the last thing missing from my CV. It’s all about preparing for those four weeks and getting into contention over the weekend. I had a chance last year at the Open and PGA Championship, and I thought I played much better in Dubai and Atlanta than at those two Majors.So, I am confident, and that is going to be a big focus of mine this year.
As for No1, I do have a great opportunity. I can catch Adam and Tiger with a few good finishes early in the season because they have more points to lose from previous years than me. Sure, it’s on the back of mind. It would be a great achievement. But the only way I can reach there is by playing well myself. I can’t control how they are playing.
STENSON’S 2013 IN HIS OWN WORDS
Best round of the year:
I think for the best nine holes, it would be the front nine in the opening round of the Tour Championship in Atlanta. I just could not make a mistake. But for a full 18-hole round, I would say my second-round 64 at the DP World Tour Championship. The conditions were difficult that day and because of the wrist I did not have the best preparation, and I still felt I left three-four shots out there in that 64.
Best tournament of the year:
The DP World Tour Championship, because it is rare to play such consistent and good golf over four rounds.
Best shot of the Year:
I know everyone talks about my second shot to the 18th on the Sunday of the DP World Tour Championship, but my absolute favourite of the whole of 2013 is the 5-iron second shot to the 12th that same day. Given the situation I was in the tournament, the pin position and the crosswind that was blowing, it was a shot I am very proud of.
Biggest disappointment:
That was losing the Scottish Open despite leading by two shots going into the final day, and by four shots early in the round after Phil (Mickelson) did not have a very good start.
