Staggering Henrik Stenson details emerge amid LIV Golf furore
Sacked European Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson's controversial move to LIV Golf has paid immediate dividends after the Swede pocketed more than $AUD6 million in his very first tournament.
Stenson - having just last month been stripped of his Ryder Cup captaincy after moving to Greg Norman's Saudi-backed series - won the LIV Golf Invitational at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey.
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The Swede carded a final round of 69 at Bedminster to claim victory by two shots over Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff, and pocket the individual first prize of $US4million ($AUD5.7m).
The 46-year-old also earned $US375,000 US dollars ($AUD537,570) as part of the Majesticks team - along with Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Sam Horsfield - which finished second in the team competition.
"I guess we can agree I played like a captain," Stenson joked in a post-round interview on LIV Golf's YouTube stream.
"It's been a good first week obviously. Nice to be here with the guys getting a feel for it. It's been a busy 10 days and I'm extremely proud I managed to finish as well as I did.
"Got a little wobbly at the end but that (par) putt on 17 was massive."
Since turning pro in 1999, Stenson has eclipsed the US$4 million mark just twice in his PGA Tour career, highlighting the extraordinary sums of prize money that are on offer for golfers in the rebel competition.
Incredibly, that was all in just three days work for Stenson.
The big payoff — not including a signing bonus reported to be about US$50 million ($AUD72 million) — comes less than two weeks after he 46-year-old Swede decided to join the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series.
Stenson had pledged full support to the European tour when he became Ryder Cup captain in March, before being stripped of the job four months later when he changed his mind.
The 2016 Open champion had hoped to be able to continue in the position while still playing in LIV events, but a meeting with Ryder Cup Europe officials made it clear that was not acceptable.
“Yeah, it has been a bit of a roller coaster, no question,” Stenson said late on Sunday.
“I think there might have been a little bit of extra motivation in there this week. When we as players have that, I think we can bring out the good stuff. Yeah, I certainly did that this week.
“I guess that’s been a bit of a theme over the course of my career, I think, when I really want something I manage to dig a little bit deeper, and a lot of times we manage to make it happen.”
Henrik Stenson moves on from Ryder Cup controversy
Australia's Matt Jones (69) was the best-placed Australian in 19th at two under while Wade Ormsby (75) finished 11 over and Jed Morgan (78) 16 over.
Stenson was appointed Ryder Cup captain on March 15, but the Swede's tenure lasted just 127 days before his decision to join LIV Golf meant he was stripped of the role with immediate effect.
The 2016 Open champion had hoped to be able to continue in the position while still playing in LIV events, but a meeting with Ryder Cup Europe officials made it clear that was not acceptable.
Luke Donald is expected to be confirmed as Stenson's successor imminently and said earlier this week: "I've certainly had some of my best moments on the golf course in the Ryder Cups.
"What an amazing honour it is to represent Europe in the Ryder Cup, and I would love to be a captain. That would be a huge honour as well.
"If I got this captaincy I would live up to my word and see it through. Let me put it that way. I wouldn't be doing a Henrik."
with agencies
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