logo
Henrik Stenson reunites with iconic caddie as Swede recruits 'perfectionist' ahead of Open at Portrush

Henrik Stenson reunites with iconic caddie as Swede recruits 'perfectionist' ahead of Open at Portrush

Daily Record2 days ago

The Swedish duo reunited at LIV Dallas and will go for Claret Jug glory in Northern Ireland
Iconic Swedish duo Henrik Stenson and Fanny Sunesson have been reunited for this week's LIV Golf event in Dallas and are set to team-up at The Open.
The former Claret Jug winner has enlisted the services of the legendary looper for the event with his current regular bagman Marcus Larsson unavailable due to commitments in his homeland.

Sunesson became the first female caddie to win a Major when working alongside Sir Nick Faldo and secured a total of four of the biggest events in the game forming a phenomenal partnership with the Englishman through a glittering period together in the 1990s.

The 58-year-old, who worked with Howard Clark, Sergio Garcia and Stenson for five years between 2006 and 2011 in a period where the Ryder Cup star won the Dubai Desert Classic, the WGC-Match Play and Players Championship.
The partnership resumes once again in Texas and reports on livgolf.com state it will be continuing next month at Royal Portrush for the 153rd Championship. Sunesson retired in 2012 to coach, but continued to be involved in big events having come out of retirement on occasions, notably to work alongside Australian golfer Adam Scott at the 2018 Open at Carnoustie.
Following that, Stenson and Sunesson paired up again at the 2019 Masters at Augusta and are also combined each summer for their annual Stenson Sunesson Junior Challenge in Sweden.
That event has prompted this move with Larsson heavily involved in its operation and the 2016 Open winner, who grabbed the title after a famous battle with Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon, gave insight into the situation as he explained: 'He couldn't really get away this week.
'He had to hang back and take care of the logistics. So Fanny is out here. It's a certain comfort level to have her on the bag. It always is when you've got someone you work with for many years and you know well.

'In particular, she's a perfectionist.
'She always wants to make sure that she knows every possible question that might come her way. Preparation is one of the lead words for her.
'Just great to catch up with her. On the golf course, we end up talking about a lot of other things than necessarily if a seven-iron was three yards long or three yards short. It's kind of relaxing that way. You switch off in between shots.'

Sunesson is delighted to be back on the job and said: 'I'm a rookie again, right? It's a new place and a new tour.
'It's nice to be back with Henrik. I'm loving it.
'He's a good friend and when you have good friends, it's like you might not talk to that friend for months, but it feels like yesterday when you do.
'Very, very happy to be here with him.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming ‘illness'
Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming ‘illness'

The Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Sun

Brooks Koepka suffers meltdown and smashes tee marker into fans before withdrawing from LIV Dallas claiming ‘illness'

BROOKS KOEPKA smashed a tee marker towards fans in a shocking meltdown. The five-time major winner lost his temper at the LIV Golf Dallas event yesterday. 4 4 4 4 Koepka got off to a nightmare start at the Maridoe Golf Club with triple bogeys on the fifth and seventh holes. He was seven over par by the time he got to the ninth and his frustrations then boiled over. A wild tee shot veered to the left and Koepka angrily smashed his club into the ground. He then turned to a tee marker and smacked it off the course. It went flying close to where fans were standing - but fortunately nobody was hurt. Many are demanding action is taken, with one saying: "He should be fined and suspended." Another added: "Unacceptable behaviour. Anyone doing this needs stiff penalties." A third wrote: "These pros need to stop with the club throws, ground pounds and course destruction." Koepka's struggles continued and he eventually pulled out on the 14th hole due to an illness. Luis Carrera has replaced him in the Smash GC team. Koepka could decide to return to the action this weekend, though he is out the individual event and would only be representing the team. The 35-year-old American is in woeful form after failing to make the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship this year. He has not finished in the top ten in the last nine majors.

Novak Djokovic clamps Carlos Alcaraz for lacking 'respect' as rival calls out rival's Wimbledon 'big lie'
Novak Djokovic clamps Carlos Alcaraz for lacking 'respect' as rival calls out rival's Wimbledon 'big lie'

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

Novak Djokovic clamps Carlos Alcaraz for lacking 'respect' as rival calls out rival's Wimbledon 'big lie'

The pair returned to SW19 for media duties before the 2025 edition and couldn't resist some mischief Mischievous Novak Djokovic isn't buying rival Carlos Alcaraz's fawning claims of respect after being mercilessly put to the sword in consecutive Wimbledon Finals. The pair returned to SW19 for media duties before the 2025 edition and the amiable Spaniard was effusive in his praise of the man he has defeated in back-to-back centre court Finals at Wimbledon. ‌ And the 22-year-old - already a five-time major winner - reckons the most decorated man of the Open era was also exaggerating his feelings about their recent meetings. ‌ Reigning and defending champion Alcaraz said: "He said he was privileged to play this year because of me, because I was defending champion but that was a big lie. "I'm privileged to play with a seven-time champion here, it's crazy what he has done. Not only on grass but it's a privilege.' But Djokovic couldn't resist a chance to lob one back across the court. The 38-year-old teased: I'm looking for a little bit more respect from him. He's talking about respect but the last two years he didn't give me the respect on this court.' You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Celtic page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season.

Blazing mad Brooks Koepka smashes up tee box, withdraws from LIV event and sets alarm bells ringing for The Open
Blazing mad Brooks Koepka smashes up tee box, withdraws from LIV event and sets alarm bells ringing for The Open

Daily Record

time3 hours ago

  • Daily Record

Blazing mad Brooks Koepka smashes up tee box, withdraws from LIV event and sets alarm bells ringing for The Open

American star lost his temper at LIV Dallas and worries his fans pre-Open Blazing Brooks Kopeka smashed his way out of LIV Dallas in an outburst which set alarm bells ringing again ahead of Royal Portrush. The American star stormed off the course during Friday's first round of the event with illness cited as the reason for his eventual withdrawal with four holes to go. ‌ Koepka had already looked sick when he cracked a tee-box marker in visible rage after another wayward shot at the ninth. The five-times Major winner slammed his club into the deck at first before subsequently whacking the marker out of the ground and in the direction of the LIV crowd. ‌ It was a brutal moment ahead of his trip across the Atlantic for the 153rd Championship and have acted to dim hopes which had had risen following the US Open that better times may lie ahead and the real Koepka might be about to shine in Northern Ireland. Koepka's struggles at the biggest events in recent times has been sad for his fans to witness with the man who was the most-fearsome character in Major golf cowed. His history isn't unknown. In a six-year spell between 2017 and 2023, he won three PGA Championships, two US Opens and recorded six other top-five finishes. During one outrageous stretch through the 2019 season, Kopeka didn't finish outside the top four in any of the Majors and once famously stated that they were the 'easist' to win. Injury problems were clearly amongst the biggest reasons why the run stuttered, but the switch to LIV didn't initially halt him as he blasted back to victory with that fifth Major win at PGA Championship coming just two years ago. He made the US Ryder Cup team in Rome. However, following that success at Oak Hill, it went rapidly downhill. Last year, Koepka was unable to strike a blow as he failed to secure a Top 20 in any of the Majors and the descent continued into this term. At Augusta, while Rory McIlroy was making history to win his career Grand Slam and, importantly, match his rival's mark of five majors, Kopeka was already long gone having missed the Masters cut. That wasn't his first missed Masters weekend, but it was a different story with the PGA. The three-time winner of the Wanamaker Trophy had never done less than four rounds in his 12 previous appearances in the event until he got to Quail Hollow, but that record was crushed by a bruising dismissal following rounds of 75 and 76 leaving him nine-over par. Spats with fans and pictures of him buying beer in a supermarket made more headlines than his golf, yet at Oakmont a fortnight ago, there were signs of life. The opening-day 68 to be amongst the leaders at the end of a tough start at Oakmont put him back in a place where he'd once lived. Subsequently, rounds of 74 and 73 snuffed out any opportunity of him grabbing the trophy, but the Sunday 71 lifted him back-up into a tie for 12th place behind JJ Spaun and offered a first Top 20 finish at a Major in two long years. With Royal Portrush to come, the prospect of the 35-year-old rising even higher and continuing the ascent at the iconic Irish venue was a tantalising one, yet now the doubts return. It remains to be seen how much the illness played a part in his wayward scoring and loss of temper in Dallas less than three weeks from The Open, or whether the simple fact is that Oakmont offered merely a rare and brief glimpse of the old Koepka.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store