Ryder Cup star Henrik Stenson will not be guaranteed a place in certain DP World Tour tournaments. The Telegraph reports that an unpublicised rule means the 49-year-old will have fresh hurdles to qualify for the prestigious tournaments such as the BMW PGA Championship, Dubai Desert Classic, and the Scottish Open.
This comes as a result of significant downgrading in qualification classification. Previously, golfing legends like Stenson would have been exempt from the Rolex Series events due to their status in the legends category, while any player in the top four of the Tour’s career money list who met other criteria would secure a position in Category 5. However, they now find themselves significantly lower in the pecking order after being demoted to Category 11a.
Stenson, who sits seventh on the career money list having earned more than £28million on the circuit, was relegated from LIV Golf in August. He will make his return to the tour after signing forms and serving at least a two-month ban. The rule change also affects other players such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, who all face uncertainty regarding tournament qualification.
Stenson, the former Open champion who finished 49th in the season-long standings, was ousted by LIV after relegation. “Over the course of a career, you’re going to have good years, you’re going to have bad years,” he said. “It’s part of professional sports. You’re going to have disappointment. You’re going to have good times. On this end, I had the worst season out of the team, and I’m the one in the worst spot. You’ve just got to deal with it and move forward.”
Reports suggest Stenson could still feature on the list of players for the elite tournaments or receive an invitation from sponsors. However, the Telegraph’s report indicates that at least one LIV player has been refused the chance to compete in January’s Desert Classic.
Rory McIlroy reaped the benefits of spurning the breakaway league at the weekend after claiming the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai to secure the Harry Vardon Trophy for the fourth consecutive year.
In doing so, he surpassed golf legend Seve Ballesteros to move within one victory of equalling Colin Montgomerie, saying: “It [overtaking Ballesteros] is amazing. I had a conversation with Carmen [Ballesteros’ ex-wife] before I went out to play today and she told me how proud he would have been. He means so much to this Tour and the European Ryder Cup team. We rally so much around his spirit and around his quotes and everything he meant for European golf. To equal him last year was cool, but to surpass him this year, I didn’t get this far in my dreams, so it’s very cool.”
