Stenson Sees Shanghai Pivotal To A Second Race To Dubai Title.

Reigning Open Champion Henrik Stenson tees up this week in Shanghai seeking to end his most successful year on a high with a second Race to Dubai title in four year.

The Swede is returning to competition for a first time since the Ryder Cup and while he’s battled an on-going right knee injury Stenson ready to stand tall in in a month’s time when the ‘Race’ ends in Dubai.

Stenson is making his sixth appearance in ‘Asia’s Major’ but for a first time as a Major Champion and could not be happier.

Henrik Stenson joins some of the starts of this week's WGC - HSBC Champions event in a promotion ahead of this week's  event in Shanghai.

Henrik Stenson joins some of the starts of this week’s WGC – HSBC Champions event in a promotion ahead of this week’s event in Shanghai.

“My knee is pretty good and it was holding up pretty good throughout the Ryder Cup where I played five games,” said Stenson.

“I had some rest before and rehab. I hope I don’t have to go through another surgery but time will tell.”

Stenson is currently lying second in the European Tour’s Race to Dubai standings, 412,728 points behind leader Danny Willett with Rory McIlroy is third, a further 643,243 points behind Stenson.

Masters champion Willett has a healthy lead but there are more than a million ranking points available to the winner in Shanghai.

“I need to get on a good run, I’ve got some ground to make up but there’s some big purses these last four weeks and I can be challenging for the number one spot,” Stenson said.

Stenson was also suffering on account of his knee when he arrived in Shanghai a year ago, but battled to finish tied for 11th alongside McIlroy. It was the Swede’s best ever finish in the tournament.

This year’s WGC-HSBC Champions features eight of the world’s top players and 40 of the top 50 and including the four Major winners of 2016.

“I have three tour events left — here, South Africa and Dubai. I can make a really, really good year into an even better one, a great one, with the Race to Dubai and, hopefully, another title or so before the season is over.”

 



Comments are closed.