Henrik Stenson to Play in First DP World Tour Event Since Losing Ryder Cup Captaincy

DP World Tour members who joined LIV Golf may still compete, pending a February court hearing; 11 such players are entered for Abu Dhabi.

Former British Open champion Henrik Stenson will play in his first DP World Tour event since having to relinquish his role as European Ryder Cup captain when he competes in the HSBC Abu Dhabi Championship beginning Jan. 19.

Stenson, 46, joined LIV Golf last July and was stripped of his captaincy, which has since been given to Luke Donald. Members of the DP World Tour who have joined LIV Golf are allowed to compete, pending the outcome of a court case scheduled for next month.

According to the DP World Tour website, the Abu Dhabi field has 11 players who have competed in LIV Golf events, including Ian Poulterer, Lee Westwood, Patrick Reed and Adrian Otaegui.

Donald is also scheduled to compete in the event being played at Yas Links in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The $7.5 million event is part of the tour’s Rolex Series and one of the bigger ones on the circuit.

Stenson, who won the Open in 2016 in a duel with fellow LIV golfer Phil Mickelson, is Sweden’s most accomplished player. He accepted the role of European Ryder Cup captain last March despite considerable conjecture that he was weighing a LIV Golf offer.

When it became clear he had signed with LIV Golf, Stenson was stripped of his captaincy by Keith Pelley, the CEO of the DP World Tour. The following week, Stenson joined LIV Golf and won in his first event at the Bedminster tournament in New Jersey.

After the Abu Dhabi tournament, the DP World Tour heads to Dubai, where Rory McIlroy is expected to make his 2023 debut. Those same LIV players are expected to play there, too, although a field list has yet to be disclosed. Nearly all of the LIV golfers will then compete the following week at the Saudi International, an Asian Tour event that is sponsored by the Public Investment Fund—which also bankrolls LIV Golf.