TPC Boston, MA …. Open Champion Henrik Stenson admitted if it were not for the FedEx Play-Off Series and the Ryder Cup he would not be competing in now fearing a further operation on an injured knee.

Stenson two-putted the last for birdie in a round of a three under par 68 on the opening day of the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston.

It put the Swede, who is set to contest a fourth Ryder Cup later this month, just two strokes behind the leading duo of Surrey’s Paul Casey and Argentinean Fabian Gomez.

Henrik Stenson and his young son, Karl by his side after posting a three under par 68 on day one of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

But despite Stenson’s solid start in the $US 8.5m second event of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Play-Off Series it must place doubt on his fitness heading to Hazeltine.

And this is after the current World No. 4 withdrew from last week’s Barclays Championship with the same concern.

“I have a slight tear in my meniscus but in a different place compared to where I had my operation in December,” he said.

“So I just have to try and manage it and see how it plays out.  I know what I am dealing with at the moment and I just have to see over time how the knee is going to perform and also consider if I will have to have another operation.

“I would prefer not to have the operation and it’s as such I just can’t make a decision but I can say if this wasn’t the FedEx Cup and the Ryder Cup was not at the end of the month then I possibly would not be playing.

“The thing is with the schedule this year there has been a lot of golf and not much time in between to recover.”