Topline
The Ryder Cup’s European team stripped Henrik Stenson of his captaincy for the 2023 event following reports of him joining the controversial new Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit – showing the lengths the new tour will go to to upend golf’s establishment and fueling speculation on who the next star golfer to join LIV Golf will be.
Henrik Stenson finishes a round last August.
Key Facts
Ryder Cup Europe did not mention LIV Golf explicitly in its announcement, but alluded to it, “decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances” which made him not “able to fulfill certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe.”
Stenson’s agent James Dunkley didn’t immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment, but the 46-year-old former British Open champion Stenson had been closely linked to LIV Golf in recent days.
Stenson’s expected defection comes amid rampant talk about the next players to join the upstart tour, fueled by LIV Golf including three TBA slots in its announced 48-man field for its next tournament.
Perhaps the most widely speculated about name is world No. 2 Cameron Smith, who refused to rule out joining LIV Golf after his British Open win Sunday, telling a reporter, “I don't know, mate,” about his future.
Other big names linked to LIV Golf include last year’s Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, as well as past Masters champions Adam Scott and Marc Leishman.
Key Background
The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in golf alongside the four major tournaments, pitting the top European and American golfers against each other every other year. Stenson would join several other top European elder statesmen at LIV Golf, including Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. Zach Johnson, captain of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, indicated last month he doesn’t expect to include any LIV Golf players on the American roster. As a result, 2021 American team members and LIV Golf players Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka will likely not be a part of the U.S. roster in 2023.
Crucial Quote
Dan Rapaport, a staff writer at Golf Digest, called LIV Golf signing Stenson a “machiavellian” move in a tweet, explaining: “They’ve now decimated the pipeline for Euro Ryder Cup captains for the future. Ultimately trying to force other parties to the table by taking all their guys, it seems.”
Surprising Fact
Former President Donald Trump encouraged all players to join LIV Golf in a social media post on Monday, even calling out Smith by name. Trump said golfers should “take the money now,” referring to the massive paydays for those joining LIV Golf thanks to financing from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Further Reading
Trump Urges Golfers To Join Saudi-Backed LIV Tour: ‘Take The Money’ (Forbes)
