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Henrik Stenson Loses European Ryder Cup Captaincy Due to Expected Jump to LIV Golf
Henrik Stenson has been stripped of his European Ryder Cup captaincy in the wake of his pending move to LIV Golf, according to a statement from Ryder Cup Europe.
Stenson, 46, a five-time participant in the biennial matches who was named to the post in March for the 2023 matches in Rome, has been linked to the upstart LIV Golf Invitational Series for months.
LIV Golf was due to make an announcement this week that he was joining the series, although it has yet to make it official.
The statement said that his “tenure as Captain of Team Europe’’ for the matches next September at Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome “has been brought to an end with immediate effect.
“In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that the will not be able to fulfill certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement’’ as captain on March 15. “Therefore it is not possible for him to continue in the role of Captain.’’
A statement from Ryder Cup Europe.
— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) July 20, 2022
Stenson, who won the 2016 British Open at Royal Troon, is expected to play in the third LIV Golf Invitational Series event next week in New Jersey. On Tuesday, LIV Golf released its field so far for the event at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, with three spaces left open for future additions.
"The captain signs a contract. The captain has an agreement and those agreements are between Ryder Cup Europe and the captain. I'm fully committed to my role and working towards the result we want in Rome," Stenson said in March, the day of his appointment.
Ryder Cup Europe said it would make an announcement on a new captain “in due course.’’ Speculation has centered around 2018 European captain Thomas Bjorn, who was due to be one of Stenson’s assistants, as well as former European Ryder Cup player Luke Donald.
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Bob Harig is a senior writer covering golf for Sports Illustrated. He has more than 25 years experience on the beat, including 15 at ESPN. Harig is a regular guest on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio and has written two books, "DRIVE: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods" and "Tiger and Phil: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry." He graduated from Indiana University where he earned an Evans Scholarship, named in honor of the great amateur golfer Charles (Chick) Evans Jr. Harig, a former president of the Golf Writers Association of America, lives in Clearwater, Fla.