Stenson believes 2013 DP World Tour win was a 'one-off'

Joy Chakravarty 10:05 20/11/2014
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  • Comfortable surroundings: Stenson's game is well suited to the Jumeirah course.

    Henrik Stenson’s efforts last year in winning the DP World Tour Championship were so extraordinary and memorable, he admits his biggest challenge this week will be to forget the past and get on with the present.

    The world No4 Swede put together one of the most stunning displays of ball-striking ever seen in the game, finding 89.3 per cent of the fairways off the tee and 94.4 per cent of greens in regulation pver the four days to race to a tournament-record 25 under par 263.

    The icing on the cake was a radar-guided three-wood from 248 yards on the final hole, which left him with a tap-in for eagle. That shot was so good it won him the European Tour’s Shot of the Year award, and earned him a permanent plaque at the exact spot where he struck the ball on the Jumeirah golf course.

    One year later, Stenson still gets goose-bumps from his own performance, but is acutely aware of the downside of hanging on to those memories.

    “I think one of the dangers of shooting 25‑under is that you can’t carry that with you too much. Because shooting 25‑under again, which I’d love to do, is really hard work,” said Stenson.

    “If you’ve done well in the past, sometimes that could be a challenge as well. To let go of that and just focus on what you’re doing in the present moment.

    “Just because I played great here last year, it’s not going to guarantee me anything. Yes, I know a good way to play this golf course for my game, but I still have to go out and do it and still got to be as focused and patient when I go out there as I was the last time.

    “Sometimes I tell my caddie, ‘The ball doesn’t know’. We may have won last week, but the ball doesn’t know that this week. We’ve got to tell that Titleist once again.”

    Even though Rory McIlroy has sealed the Race to Dubai title before a ball is struck in the UAE, Stenson said he had enough motivation to give it his best shot over the next four days.

    McIlroy was confirmed Race to Dubai champion last Sunday after the Turkish Airlines Open, with the Ulsterman holding an insurmountable lead over the Swede.

    “Of course, last year was very special and I know it can’t be as special this year because Rory has already won the overall race,” said the 38-year-old who recently became a father for the third time with the birth of daughter Alice.

    “But I can make it a very special week for myself by playing well here and hopefully give myself a chance to win. I haven’t defended a title as yet in my career and I could not think of a much better place to do it than here this week.

    “I’ve got nothing to gain and everything to lose this week being second when I can’t pass Rory. It just gives me a good opportunity to get that second spot (the bonus pool share is $800,000).

    “Not playing all four Final Series events due to the baby, I felt like it was always going to be a case of trying to finish second. That still shows that I had a good year.”

    A victory here would also take care of the fact that despite a solid season – he leads the European Tour record for most number of top-10 finishes this year (nine) – Stenson is yet to win a tournament. But the winless streak does not bother the man himself.

    “I’m pretty pleased with the overall performance. It was going to be a tough one, especially early season. I was battling a bit of fatigue and if you’re tired, you don’t have the energy to practice and get going with the game and then it just becomes a bit of a bad cycle,” he said.

    “From kind of late spring and onwards, it’s been quite all right and I contended in a few events and had a couple of strong results. Overall, it’s not a bad season by any means.

    "I think I got close to 200 world ranking points on the board, which is always a good indicator for a strong season. It’s a win that’s missing, and hopefully I can take care of it here. Otherwise, we’ll try and come back and do it early next year.”

    Stenson was third in the Turkish Airlines Open, his 26th event of a season which will end with the Hero World Challenge – hosted by Tiger Woods – from December 4-7.

    “I’m excited about next year’s schedule,” he added.

    “I had a great formula from 2012 and into 2013, and then I felt like I slipped out of that one a little bit due to a lot of different reasons.

    “I’m excited about trying to get back into that, because it was a pretty good recipe I had. I played 31 tournaments in 2013, 28 this year and would like to get down to 26.”

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