Henrik Stenson ‘disappointed’ not to win

• Swede has to make do with silver as Rose wins gold
• “I didn’t feel like I played my absolute best” – Henrik Stenson
• Kuchar, meanwhile, is thrilled to win bronze

Henrik Stenson has admitted that he was ‘disappointed’ not to win gold in the men’s Olympic golf competition but added that his silver medal went some way to making up for it.

Open champion Stenson finished two shots behind his Ryder Cup teammate and playing partner Justin Rose in Rio, as the former US Open champion became the first golfer since Canada’s George Lyon in 1904 to win an Olympic golf event.

Read more -> Rose clinches Olympic gold for GB

The Swede had started the final round one shot adrift of Rose and, although he joined him at the top of the leaderboard on the back nine, he disappointing bogeyed the last hole for a 68, allowing the Brit the luxury of two putts from three feet for the title.

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“When you’re in a good position to try and win, you always kind of feel a little disappointed afterwards,” said Henrik Stenson. “But at the same time, we said that all along in the Olympics, you’ve got some pretty good consolation prizes.

Read more -> Henrik Stenson vs Croc. Henrik Stenson wins.

“I guess if you would have told me before the week that I would have left here with a medal, I would have been pretty pleased and I managed to do that. I’m quite happy.”

“I played good enough to put myself in contention and that was my goal” – Henrik Stenson

He added: “I didn’t feel like I played my absolute best throughout the week but I played good enough to put myself in contention and that was my goal.”

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Meanwhile, Stenson’s relative disappointment at coming so close to gold medal glory was in stark contrast to the delight of America’s Matt Kuchar, who equalled the lowest round of the week with a closing 63 to snatch bronze.

Afterwards, the 38-year-old could barely contain his joy. “I couldn’t be more proud,” said Kuchar. “It’s really hard to describe the feeling, the pride that I have, whether it’s in myself, whether it’s in my country. To come out to play an amazing round of golf and to know that it would take an amazing round of golf to medal, I couldn’t be happier.

“To make it, and now to medal, is just a real thrill” – Matt Kuchar

“I’m such a fan of sports and, as a kid, it was a boyhood dream to qualify for an Olympics, but the sport I played, the game of golf, was not an Olympic sport.

Read more -> Bubba Watson hits comfortably the worst shot of the Olympics

“For it to become an Olympic sport, it was certainly something I was really gunning for. To make it, and now to medal, is just a real thrill.”

Asked what he planned to do with his medal, he added: “I think there’s going to be a lot of showing it off for a while. I don’t know if it will stay still for very long. It’s an easier one to travel with. You can’t drink out of but you can travel with it.”

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Henrik Stenson: Is he your ‘Player of the Year’

After winning The Open and a silver medal at the Olympics, is Henrik Stenson golf’s ‘Player of the Year’? Or is there somebody else in the frame? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor