Open Champion Henrik Stenson has his gold medal and overcoming fears to win the prestigious Swedish sport, Svenska Dagbladet’s Bragdguldet award on Tuesday.
Stenson, 40 becomes the first male-born Swedish golfer to win the award and joining Annika Sorenstam as the only golfers to be honoured with the award.
In July, Stenson reached the pinnacle of his career in capturing the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland while a few weeks later he was runner-up to England’s Justin Rose at the Rio Olympic Games.
Late last month, Stenson capped his best-ever season in winning a second European Tour Race to Dubai title in four years.
However, Stenson was not confident of winning the award and feared judges would select Jenny Rissveds who claimed Sweden’s first Olympic cycling gold medal for 40-years with her victory in the women’s cross-country.
Henrik Stenson finally wins a gold medal – Voted 2016 with the honour of the Dagbladet’s Bragdguldet award
“If I don’t win the award this year I never will,” said Stenson last Sunday following his second-place finish in the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas.
“So I’ll just have to wait and see as what Jenny Rissveds accomplished was pretty special and in a country not known for golf.”
However, Stenson’s fears were relayed with organising announcing Stenson as the winner for his “barrier breaking feat” in winning the Open, which was achieved with calmness and “technical brilliance”.
Stenson, who is currently ranked fourth in the World Golf Rankings, said he was “proud and happy” to receive the award.
“I thought I had a good chance, absolutely,” he said. “But it is never easy when you are comparing different sports.”
Sörenstam had been the only golfer to have won the award previously back in 1995.
Other winners since the prize was first awarded in 1925 include famous names such as Björn Borg, skiers Anja Pärson and Ingemar Stenmark and athlete Carolina Kluft.
Stenson follows last year’s winner Sara Sjöström, who won three medals in swimming at this year’s Olympics, including gold.
