Ryder Cup Europe Dumps Henrik Stenson Amid LIV Golf Speculation

The European Ryder Cup team wasn’t going to let likely LIV Golf Series newcomer Henrik Stenson break up with them first.

The Euros on Wednesday announced Stenson has been removed as captain for Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup next year in Italy. No replacement has been announced yet.

The decision isn’t surprising and one that had been rumored after reports linked Stenson to the Saudi-backed LIV golf league. Stenson has yet to officially make the jump, but it’s assumed he could be in the field as soon as next week when the series makes its second American stop in New Jersey.

“In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances,” Ryder Cup Europe said in a statement, “it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement as Captain on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, and it is therefore not possible for him to continue in the role of captain.”

Stenson is one of the most decorated European players in Ryder Cup history. He has played five times, helping the Europeans win the Cup in 2006, 2014 and 2018. As such, he was named the 2023 captain earlier this year, and he made a strong public commitment at the time.

“There’s been a lot of speculation back and forth,” Stenson said of the LIV Golf rumors back in March. “I am fully committed to the captaincy and to Ryder Cup Europe and the job at hand. So we’re going to keep busy with that, and I’m going to do everything in my power to deliver a winning team in Rome.”

Stenson at the time pointed out he signed a contract committing to the Ryder Cup team, adding “I’m fully committed to my role as captain and working hard toward the result we want in Rome.”

So much for that. Stenson, 46, is currently ranked 171st in the world. He missed the cut at last week’s Open Championship as well as the Scottish Open the week before. He had made just three cuts on the PGA Tour since the start of the year. Aside from winning the Scandanavian Mixed, of which he’s a cohost, his best finish this calendar year came, fittingly, at the Saudi International in February.

Stenson’s biggest win came six years ago when he won the 2016 Open Championship, which makes him the latest major winner to join LIV Golf once that becomes official.