As we count down to the thrilling season climax at the Apulia San Domenico Grand Final, we will be taking a look back at some of the Challenge Tour’s most celebrated and successful alumni of the past decade to see where it all started for them before the glory and silverware of The European Tour beckoned.
First up, we take you back to the year 2000 where one of Swedish golf’s finest golfing exports cut his teeth on the Challenge Tour before storming to rankings glory and the success that has since followed.
We catch up with a fresh faced 24 year old Henrik Stenson at the Dexia-Bil Luxembourg Open where we are introduced to his girlfriend (now wife) and caddie Anna Lofgren: “She’s special to me, we’ve been together for three years,” said a clearly smitten Stenson. “She’s moved back to stay with me, and we have our own place. It is just great.”
Aside from his love life, Stenson showed potential early on and talks about the time he finished as the top amateur at the 1997 Volvo Scandinavian Masters – the year compatriot Joakim Haeggman became the second Swede to win at home after Jesper Parnevik in 1995.
He said: “"I got in there and got my prize just before Joakim got his first prize and the crowds were cheering and it was just fantastic. I would like to do that again and pick up the first prize this time instead."
Getting back to the action in Luxembourg, Stenson would give up a two shot lead and end up in a play-off with the then amateur Nicolas Colsaerts and Nils Roerbaek-Petersen having made a five foot birdie putt on the last to make it in. They would head to the tenth for extra holes, but you’ll have to watch the video to see if he could get the job done and pick up his first professional victory…
Click here to see what happened next.
