Blow to the heart of the Ryder Cup. The Saudi league has fished in the waters of the European team, and none other than the captain of the ship, the Swedish Henrik Stenson, appointed to lead the old continent in the next edition, in Rome 2023. Stenson will participate in the third tournament of the eight that make up this course, the LIV Golf series, an event that will be held in Bedminster (New Jersey) next week. The Saudi league announced on Tuesday the confirmed participants for the tournament and left three vacancies free. One of them will be for Stenson.
The flight has a high symbolic content because it represents the captain of a competition like the Ryder, the great biennial duel between Europe and the United States that the best golfers in the world play for free, far (still) from the auction in which it has been turned his sport today. The two major circuits and the Saudi league are waging a war to fill the stars’ pockets with millions of dollars, a battle that is played between checks, expulsions and sanctions. Stenson, 46, winner of the British Open in 2016, with 11 victories on the PGA Tour and five on the European circuit, is one of the insurgents who has changed sides for a chest of gold (the eight Saudi league tournaments they distribute this course 255 million dollars, four for the individual winner of each appointment). The change of shirt is not one more, but that of the captain of Europe himself. His betrayal has led the European team to withdraw his captaincy, although without reference to the Saudi league.
“Ryder Cup Europe confirms today that Henrik Stenson’s tenure as captain of the European team has come to an end with immediate effect. In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfill certain contractual obligations to the Ryder Cup Europe to which he had committed prior to his announcement as captain on Tuesday 15 March 2019. 2022, and, therefore, it is not possible for him to continue in office ”, has communicated the Ryder Cup, which must now look for a new coach.
“I am quite clear about what I am going to do with the European Tour”
“I want to play where they want me. And on the European Tour I don’t feel loved” pic.twitter.com/HpL3fSx1Qq— Golf at Movistar Plus+ (@MovistarGolf) July 17, 2022
Stenson’s escape joins the resignation last Sunday of Sergio García to be a member of the European circuit (and therefore to participate in the Ryder), after the economic sanctions he received for joining the Saudi league: 116,000 euros after enrolling at the opening event in London. In just four days, the European Ryder team has lost its captain and a legend like the man from Castellón, winner of six titles and the man with the most points (28.5) and games won (25) in the history of the competition . García’s departure was lamented by Jon Rahm, number five in the world and who had formed a great pair with El Niño in the last edition. “The best event that publicizes golf in the world is the Ryder and that Sergio, the best player that Europe has given, cannot be there because of that nonsense it bothers me and makes me angry,” criticized Rahm after the British Open. The Basque, until now a great defender of the American circuit, urged the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan, the president of the European circuit, Keith Pelley, and the CEO of LIV Golf, Greg Norman, to sit down and seek an agreement to take peace to golf. Far from it, the drums of war are still beating.
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