- Title: Stenson hopes to clinch Race to Dubai crown
- Date: 16th November 2016
- Summary: DUBAI, UAE (NOVEMBER 16, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS SHOTS OF JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES AS IT PREPARES TO HOST THE DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP VARIOUS SHOTS OF RACE TO DUBAI LEADER HENRIK STENSON IN PRACTICE VARIOUS SHOTS OF PLAYERS ON JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES COURSE PRESS CONFERENCE HENRIK STENSON BEING AWARDED HONORARY LIFE MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR PHOTOGRAPHER AT PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) HENRIK STENSON SAYING: "It's definitely a special thing. Yes, I could see it coming at some point hopefully, but I didn't expect it today, this morning." DP WORLD TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) HENRIK STENSON SAYING: "I need to play well, have a good, strong week, because you can never rely on what the other guys are going to do. When you are the number one player then they need to play better than you do this final week to overtake you. I'm keen to go out and play a good, solid tournament and hopefully put myself in contention, and if I do that, I hope we can be here as winner of Race to Dubai on Sunday." JUMEIRAH GOLF ESTATES LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (English) HENRIK STENSON SAYING: "Of course that would be a great honour and something that would be a lot of fun it. It's also a lot of work, as I've seen closely from some of my older colleagues that have taken on that role. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but I'm pretty certain I wouldn't turn it down if I had the offer in the future." CAMERAMAN AT PRESS CONFERENCE PRESS CONFERENCE FINISHING
- Embargoed: 1st December 2016 10:39
- Keywords: Golf Dubai Stenson European Tour
- Location: DUBAI, UAE
- City: DUBAI, UAE
- Country: United Arab Emirates
- Topics: Golf,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00158P1TFJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Henrik Stenson said on Wednesday (November 16) that he hopes to perform well enough seal the European number one spot at the season-ending DP World Tour Championship which starts on Thursday.
The money-list leader was not at his best last week but still finished eighth in Sunday's Nedbank Challenge at Sun City, South Africa, an event won by fellow Swede Alex Noren.
Speaking to reporters in Dubai, Stenson said his goal this week is to claim the Race To Dubai crown.
"I need to play well, have a good, strong week, because you can never rely on what the other guys are going to do," he said.
"When you are the number one player then they need to play better than you do this final week to overtake you. I'm keen to go out and play a good, solid tournament and hopefully put myself in contention, and if I do that, I hope we can be here as winner of Race to Dubai on Sunday."
Asked whether he would like to captain the next European Ryder Cup team in 2018, Stenson said he would be honoured.
"Of course that would be a great honour and something that would be a lot of fun it. It's also a lot of work, as I've seen closely from some of my older colleagues that have taken on that role. But we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but I'm pretty certain I wouldn't turn it down if I had the offer in the future," he said.
Before the start of the press conference Stenson was presented with honorary life membership of the European Tour.
"It's definitely a special thing," he said.
Stenson, Noren, U.S. Masters champion Danny Willett and four-times major winner Rory McIlroy can all finish top of the money-list.
British Open winner Stenson leads Englishman Willett by almost 300,000 points. Noren trails his compatriot by 633,436 points while fourth-placed McIlroy is 1,176,414 adrift.
The Northern Irishman has to win in Dubai to have any chance of being crowned Europe's number one for a fourth time.
Noren needs at least a top-two finish while Willett must be among the leading five to have any hope of displacing Stenson.
The DP World Tour Championship has a prize fund of $8 million. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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