Henrik Stenson claims Ryder Cup sacking “could’ve been avoided”

LIV golfer Henrik Stenson has hit out at the authorities who stripped him of his European Ryder Cup captaincy.

The 47-year-old, who had the armband snatched back after joining the Saudi-backed circuit, believes he was fit to lead Team Europe in Rome this September.

After finishing in a tie for 13th place in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, Stenson conceded his disappointment to the New York Post.

He said: “I’m just disappointed with everything that came out because there was a big willingness on my part to sit down and talk long before this thing got to where it got to.

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“That’s my disappointment — that there were certain people, without naming names, that didn’t want to sit down and take those meetings.

“And, as a consequence, I feel like we ended up in all this that could have been avoided. But we live and we learn.’’

The five-time Ryder Cup stalwart was relieved of his duties a year ago amid golf’s ‘civil war’ and was replaced in the hot seat by Luke Donald.

With just over two months until the showdown at Marco Simone, Stenson was supposed to be eyeing up who he would select to take on the United States.

And hours before Brian Harman lifted the Claret Jug, Stenson posted a three-under-par final round, as Europeans stacked up on the Hoylake leaderboard.

But those decisions will now fall with Donald, despite the ‘framework agreement’ that is now working towards re-uniting the men’s professional game.

As the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) have agreed to co-exist, Stenson believes he has been left out to dry.

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The Swede said: “I knew I could have fulfilled my obligations as captain, but clearly the DP World Tour and Ryder Cup Europe didn’t see it that way, and that’s why they made that decision.”

Regarding the shock alliance announced on June 6, Stenson claimed: “A lot of these decisions are not on my plate.”

He added: “We’ll see where it ends up — from Ryder Cup to memberships on DP World Tour and PGA Tour and all the rest of it. I’m just sitting tight right now.

“I’m not alone in this; the guys that I would have had as my vice captains, we kind of all ended up in the same boat.”

Fellow LIV golfers and Ryder Cup veterans Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia were all shunned by the DP World Tour, removing their involvement in Italy.

Thomas Bjørn and Eduardo Molinari have remained as vice-captains.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.