Major champion getting ready to return to the PGA Tour after leaving LIV Golf
Henrik Stenson, who won the 2016 Open, is making a surprise comeback to the PGA Tour after being dropped from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league. Even though he’s one of the few players to have won a major, he hasn’t played since last August when he was relegated from LIV.
In a tough moment, the Swedish golfer missed a putt on the final hole of the season-ending event in Indianapolis, finishing just one shot behind his teammate Ian Poulter. That result meant he had to leave LIV Golf after four years. Since then, the 50-year-old has taken a break from golf, while watching news about LIV Golf possibly shutting down soon.
Now, Henrik is ready to return. He plans to come back to both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour after paying off fines he got for joining LIV last November. “It’s the longest break I’ve had in my 28-year career,” Stenson told Today’s Golfer. “Before this, the longest was during Covid, about four and a half months. But with 28 years of experience, I hope I can jump right back in.”
Stenson’s comeback will kick off at the $3 million Senior PGA Championship. He also plans to play a busy schedule before aiming for the US Open this summer. He said, “Now I can control my own schedule and choose how much I want to play, which I’m really happy about at this stage in my career. This year will be a bit of a mix—I’m playing the Senior PGA, Barbados Legends, probably a US Open qualifier in London, and then the Senior US Open, The Open, and Senior Open.”
Stenson moved to LIV in 2022, becoming co-captain of the Majesticks GC team with Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. But after the news broke, he lost his spot as European Ryder Cup captain, replaced by Luke Donald, who led Team Europe to wins in 2022 and 2025.
During his time with LIV, Stenson made over $10 million in prize money. Now, he feels ready to come back and compete on the senior tour, ten years after his unforgettable win over Phil Mickelson at Royal Troon to become The Open champion.