Rumour: Henrik Stenson Close To Finalising LIV Golf Deal

LIV Golf continues to be the biggest talking point in 2022 and, even though two of the eight events have been completed, there is still talk of players joining the Saudi-backed series.

Now, in a massive turn of events, European Ryder Cup captain, Henrik Stenson, is close to finalising a deal with LIV Golf. That is according to Twitter page, Handicap_54, who has correctly reported previous departures.

Along with Handicap_54, The Times have also recently reported that there is speculation that Henrik Stenson’s management team has been in talks with LIV. If the 46-year-old were to jump ship then “he will not be captain at next year’s Ryder Cup," one DP World Tour official stated.

In the last few months, Stenson has selected Thomas Bjorn and Edoardo Molinari as his Vice-Captains for Rome in 2023 and has also been pictured with the Ryder Cup at the Colosseum in Rome. Along with these appearances, the Swede has also posted numerous videos and pictures to his social media platforms surrounding the iconic tournament.

WHAT IS LIV GOLF?

If Stenson were to make the jump to LIV Golf, he would join fellow European Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell.

As of writing, it is unknown as to whether there will be any sanctions surrounding the Ryder Cup, although the DP World Tour recently stated that the LIV Golf rebels will not be allowed to tee it up at the Genesis Scottish Open, with players also being fined £100,000 for their LIV Golf involvement.

The announcement also stated that they will not be allowed entry into the Barbasol Championship and Barracuda Championship, both of which are co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and PGA Tour. However, the 16 players who are involved have threatened the DP World Tour with legal action after the sanctions were released.

What was the response from the Tour you may ask? Well, Tour CEO, Keith Pelley, has called out the "many inaccuracies" in a scathing statement that also questioned claims that the players "care deeply" for what was formerly the European Tour.