Henrik Stenson’s season may not be over yet despite the Swede initially expecting to miss the remainder of the European Tour events after injuring himself in a Superman stunt gone wrong.
Stenson suffered a rib injury during a pre-event photo shoot before the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament in China in October. He was kitted out with a cape and suspended in mid-air for the promotional stunt for tournament sponsors HSBC.
The world number nine was left nursing the rib injury as a result of the stunt, but he still managed to finish in tied second place behind winner Justin Rose.
A week later, however, the effects of the injury hampered Stenson as he finished down the field in 35th position in the Turkish Airlines Open at Regnum Carya Golf Course, 14 shots adrift of winner Rose. Afterwards, he admitted he was “no superman”.
Stenson is sitting out the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City and is recuperating instead at his home in Orlando, Florida. He was also expected to miss the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai the following week before returning to action in the new year when fully recovered.
But Stenson has given hope to his fans that he may yet compete in the DP World Tour Championship Jumeira Golf Estates’ Earth Course, posting on his official Instagram page that he still hopes to be in Dubai for the tournament.
“I’m disappointed to have to pre-emptively withdraw from the Nedbank Golf Challenge,” he posted. “I am back home in Orlando waiting to do a scan on my ribs and get the necessary rest. I am still hoping for a quick recovery and have not ruled out playing in Dubai next week at this point.
“The plan as of now will be to participate in the DP World Championship if my body is back to 100%.”
In relation to his Superman comments, he added: “My comment about not being Superman was a sarcastic way of saying that I am susceptible to injury like any other athlete and sometimes these things happen when you least expect them.
“I was never forced to do anything. HSBC is a great sponsor to golf worldwide and I am not happy to see them being made responsible for my withdrawal.”
Stenson, who is in 11th place in the Race To Dubai standings, has won the DP World Tour Championship twice before. He triumphed by six shots in 2013 before repeating the victory 12 months later when he recorded a two-shot victory in 2014.
Stenson has yet to win on the European Tour this year, the runner-up finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions was his best result despite the Swede picking up the rib injury right before the tournament.
He did, however, secure a victory on the PGA TOUR this year when he won the Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in August.
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