Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP
Henrik Stenson of Sweden talks to his caddie on the 18th hole during the first round of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship on Thursday, January 19, 2023. AP

Henrik Stenson glad to be in UAE for Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship amid golf’s 'civil war'


Paul Radley
  • English
  • Arabic

Despite returning to a country he once called home, and a tour on which he was once the darling, Henrik Stenson might still have felt trepidation ahead of his Thursday three-ball at Yas Links.

The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship is the first DP World Tour event Stenson has played since he was removed as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain last June for switching to LIV Golf.

The Swede had been due to lead the side in the match against the United States in Rome later this year, which would have been due reward for a stellar career on tour.

A sporting arbitration case in early February will determine whether LIV members such as Stenson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, who are also playing in the capital this week, can continue to play on the DP World Tour.

The issue has been termed golf’s “civil war”, and Stenson might have been wary of the reception he was going to get on his return. In truth, it was scarcely more than lukewarm, given his 7.50am tee time.

No more than a handful of spectators had made it to the first to see him start. As Stenson strolled onto the tee box, dressed in black trousers and a black hoodie, his greeting from playing partners Soren Kjeldsen and Paul Waring was perfectly civil.

England's Luke Donald finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard. AFP
England's Luke Donald finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard. AFP

Asked, after he had signed for an opening round of 4-under-par 68, whether he felt welcome, Stenson said: “Absolutely. No question.”

The 46-year-old has won 11 times on the European Tour, with the vast majority of those titles earned while he lived in the Meadows, Dubai.

“It's been good to be back,” he said. “I played these events for 20-odd years. It's always fun to come back and see everyone."

Stenson was philosophical about what has happened since he decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV tour, and said he harboured no resentment.

“It's been difficult times obviously,” he said.

“We're still going through that. I hope we end up in a place where everything works out the best for everyone - players, spectators, tours and everything else.

"It's been a rocky road, not just on my end the last six months. I think for the most part, people are above that.

“If you're friends with someone, you're friends with them no matter where they choose to work.

“And sometimes, even if someone makes a decision that you don't necessarily agree with, or think is the right one with the information and the circumstances that you have in front of you, if you're friends, you can look past that. That's what I feel here.”

In a twist of fate, Luke Donald, the player who has replaced Stenson as Europe’s captain, finished the opening morning at the top of the leaderboard.

The Englishman, who teed off at the same time as Stenson, albeit starting at the 10th hole, posted an 8-under 64 to lead by one shot from Jason Scrivener and Guido Migliozzi.

Sarfira

Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal 

Rating: 2/5

Key Points
  • Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
  • Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
UAE SQUAD

 Khalid Essa (Al Ain), Ali Khaseif (Al Jazira), Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah), Mahmoud Khamis (Al Nasr), Yousef Jaber (Shabab Al Ahli Dubai), Khalifa Al Hammadi (Jazira), Salem Rashid (Jazira), Shaheen Abdelrahman (Sharjah), Faris Juma (Al Wahda), Mohammed Shaker (Al Ain), Mohammed Barghash (Wahda), Abdulaziz Haikal (Shabab Al Ahli), Ahmed Barman (Al Ain), Khamis Esmail (Wahda), Khaled Bawazir (Sharjah), Majed Surour (Sharjah), Abdullah Ramadan (Jazira), Mohammed Al Attas (Jazira), Fabio De Lima (Al Wasl), Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Khalfan Mubarak (Jazira), Habib Fardan (Nasr), Khalil Ibrahim (Wahda), Ali Mabkhout (Jazira), Ali Saleh (Wasl), Caio (Al Ain), Sebastian Tagliabue (Nasr).

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

When Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi

  

 

 

 

Known as The Lady of Arabic Song, Umm Kulthum performed in Abu Dhabi on November 28, 1971, as part of celebrations for the fifth anniversary of the accession of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan as Ruler of Abu Dhabi. A concert hall was constructed for the event on land that is now Al Nahyan Stadium, behind Al Wahda Mall. The audience were treated to many of Kulthum's most well-known songs as part of the sold-out show, including Aghadan Alqak and Enta Omri.

 
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Starfield
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Men's football draw

Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica

Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea

Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA

Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

While you're here
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo

The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
​​​​​​​Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 1.5-litre turbo

Power: 181hp

Torque: 230Nm

Transmission: 6-speed automatic

Starting price: Dh79,000

On sale: Now

Updated: January 19, 2023, 11:07 AM`