Tour News
Stenson’s 2013: A masterclass in perseverance
At the beginning of the 2012, the 230th spot in the Official World Golf Ranking belonged to a washed-up former top player in the world who had nearly completely lost his game after a few good years in the late-2000s, highlighted by a win of The Players Championship in 2009.
That guy was Henrik Stenson, the draw-hitting Swede known primarily for the sunglasses he nearly always wore on the golf course. In the years of his decline, the draw turned to a hook and his decent putting abilities turned against him, dragging his confidence into the gutter.
Now, those days seem to belong to another player altogether, as Stenson capped a torrid reemergence as one of professional golf’s major figures last weekend in the United Arab Emirates, adding the European Tour’s Race To Dubai title to the FedEx Cup he snatched in September. A final-round 64, punctuated by an eagle on No. 18, gave Stenson a six-shot victory in the tournament, a Race to Dubai margin of victory of nearly a million points over Ian Poulter and the No. 3 spot on the Official World Golf Ranking.
Stenson became the second player to top major lists for both the PGA and European Tours since Luke Donald won the PGA and European Tours’ money lists in 2011. Stateside, he entered the FedEx Cup Playoffs in ninth place on the strength of six regular-season top-10s. He seemed to play his best golf in the biggest tournaments, tying for 18th at the Masters, for 21st at the U.S. Open and finishing second at the Open Championship and third at the PGA Championship. He broke through into the winner’s circle in the second FedEx Playoff event, the Deutsche Bank Championship, and dominated the field at the Tour Championship, earning the FedEx Cup trophy and a $10 million bonus for his exploits.
Whereas most great players separate themselves by making a few more putts than their peers, Stenson made his hay tee-to-green in 2013. He has completely turned his ball-striking around in two years: in 2011, he hit a scant 59.17 percent of his greens in regulation, leaving him 187th on Tour in that statistic. In 2013, he hit a shade under 72 percent, the best mark on Tour. In more concrete terms, that is 13 greens in regulation per round, compared to a 2011 total of 10 or 11. Those two or three extra birdie putts per round add up massively over the course of a year. And they are almost always going to be from closer to the hole, on average—after all, Stenson also raised his driving accuracy numbers from nearly 56 percent (163rd on Tour) in 2011 to just over 70 percent (s) in 2013.
Statistics are all well and good, but anecdotes from fellow tour players and other golf writers also indicates that 2013 saw a more serene, even-keeled Stenson, for the most part—his well-publicized mangling of a locker at Conway Farms Golf Club during the FedEx Cup Playoffs’ BMW Championship seeming to be a rare relapse. This is no doubt an important indicator of what the golf world ought to expect from Stenson as an encore to his terrific 2013 campaign. After his 2009 peak, the responsibility and self-generated expectations of beginning an earnest pursuit of major championships may have gotten to Stenson, who would love to become the first Swede to win one of professional men’s golf’s biggest titles. If his newfound more zen temperament is here to stay, look for him to compete at Augusta in April.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
GolfWRX is on site this week at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage. Plenty of golfers who competed in the Masters last week will be making the quick turnaround in the Lowcountry of South Carolina as the Heritage is again one of the Tour’s Signature Events.
We have general albums for you to check out, as well as plenty of WITBs — including Justin Thomas and Justin Rose.
We’ll continue to update as more photos flow in from SC.
Check out links to all our photos, below.
General Albums
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Monday #2
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #1
- 2024 RBC Heritage – Tuesday #2
WITB Albums
- Justin Thomas – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Rose – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Chandler Phillips – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Nick Dunlap – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Thomas Detry – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Austin Eckroat – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Jason Day – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Will Zalatoris – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Patrick Cantlay – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Ludvig Aberg – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Collin Morikawa – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Sam Burns – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Stephen Jaeger – WITB – 2024 RBC Heritage
Pullout Albums
- Wyndham Clark’s Odyssey putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- JT’s new Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Justin Thomas testing new Titleist 2 wood – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey putter with triple track alignment aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Scotty Cameron The Blk Box putting alignment aid/training aid – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Cameron putter – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Odyssey Ai One Eleven T putters – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Christian Bezuidenhout – testing new Callaway Ti 340 mini driver – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Xander Schauffele testing the Callaway Ti 340 mini driver & the DUW – 2024 RBC Heritage
- Byeong Hun An, two new L.A.B. Golf putter builds with “T” alignment – 2024 RBC Heritage
See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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AJ
Nov 25, 2013 at 10:02 am
“Stenson became the second player to top major lists for both the PGA and European Tours since Luke Donald won the PGA and European Tours’ money lists in 2011”
So McIlroy 2012 has been forgotten? Both money lists as well…
Brett
Nov 23, 2013 at 5:43 am
Ben Hogan 72/72. Pinehurst. 1st win
Jack
Nov 21, 2013 at 3:41 am
Wow 68 of 72? Geez. Amazing
Pat M
Nov 20, 2013 at 10:34 pm
I am very happy for Henrik. He is the king of golf right now and a great chap.
Taylor
Nov 20, 2013 at 5:06 pm
Stenson is a beast right now. I hope he keeps it up for next year’s Majors.
Nick O'Hern
Nov 20, 2013 at 4:34 pm
Does anyone know if the number of greens Stenson hit (68/72) at the finale in Dubai is a record on any professional tour?
Cheers