Henrik Stenson has been named The 2013 Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year after an astonishing season.
The 37 year old from Gothenburg became the first player from Sweden to win the coveted award after creating history by completing an unprecedented transatlantic double by capturing the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai and The Race to Dubai on The European Tour International Schedule following his success in the Tour Championship and FedExCup on the PGA TOUR.
Stenson’s commanding six-shot victory in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship offered a perfect microcosm of his season as he tamed the immaculate 7,675 yards Earth Course by missing only five fairways and four greens in compiling rounds of 68, 64, 67 and 64 for a tournament record 25 under par total of 263.
After winning the South African Open Championship at the end of last year, Stenson embarked on a “dream season” which saw him produce a remarkable level of consistency in golf’s biggest events.
A tie for second place in the Shell Houston Open earned Stenson a place in The Masters Tournament where he finished in a tie for 18th place. More consistent play – including being tied fifth in The Players Championship in Florida – took Stenson into the summer and a tie for third place in the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open set the tone for an incredible run of results that would see him become the best player on the planet for the rest of the year.
Stenson finished second at The 142nd Open Championship, quickly followed that up with a tie for second at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational then a third place finish at the US PGA Championship with which he led The 2013 Race to Dubai.
Then came the start of that transatlantic double which would earn him a place in golf’s record books. Stenson charged to victory at the Deutsche Bank Championship then two weeks later claimed the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola to win the FedExCup.
Next on the agenda came The European Tour and The Race to Dubai’s inaugural Final Series. A tie for seventh at the Turkish Airlines Open was followed by one of the greatest performances in European Tour history in Dubai, where he claimed Number One honours and earned the Harry Vardon Trophy.
“Winning the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, where I had made my home for ten years, in the style I won it, in front of so many family and friends, was something I will never forget. I’m not sure how I top it to be honest. I am not sure many people will get the chance to do what I did this year but I just need to keep working hard and pushing forward.
“The Majors are the biggest goal for me now and if I can continue to play at the level I have been then I feel I can have a pretty good shot at them.”
The Race to Dubai European Tour Golfer of the Year panel, which featured golf journalists from newspapers and magazines as well as commentators from radio and television, also reserved praise for several other worthy candidates, specifically Justin Rose, who became the first Englishman for 43 years to win the US Open Championship after his unforgettable performance at Merion in June
Bryan Angus (release from europeantour.com)
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