From the time he first arrived at Sun City, Henrik Stenson appeared destined to lift the crystal golf ball trophy and become Sweden’s first winner of the event, given his towering ball flight and precise distance control, his unerring putter and a love for hot weather which saw him create his home base in the desert city of Dubai.
On his first visit in 2006, he defied the history that suggests that first-timers find it too difficult to contend, chasing down defending champion Jim Furyk on the final day and getting to within two shots of the lead on his own in second place. He was also the only player that year to post four rounds under par, offering a sign of things to come.
2007 proved to be the Immelman and Rose show for all four rounds, but Stenson gave himself a chance of contesting at the weekend with a joint-lowest round of 65 on the Friday before playing solid if unspectacular golf over the final two rounds to end alone in fourth place.
But last year was all about Stenson and, while some bemoaned the fact that tournament was effectively over as a contest before the final round got underway, one still had to marvel at the incredible display of ball striking and scoring that the popular Stenson put one, with the experienced Fanny Suneson – who had won a Nedbank title with Nick Faldo previously – on the bag.
Stenson, a previous winner of the Accenture World Matchplay Championship, made a strong start to 2009 as well, securing his biggest strokeplay victory with an emphatic four-stroke win at the Players’ Championship, regarded by the professionals as the game’s unofficial ‘fifth Major’.
Stenson had the privilege of holing the putt that won the Ryder Cup for Europe on his debut in the event at the K-Club in Ireland in 2006 and regained selection to the team for the title defence at Valhalla last year. The Swede would take a firm beating from Kenny Perry in the singles in Europe’s defeat but, a few months later, got his own back with his inspired Sun City performance, with Perry’s final round 65 only getting him to within nine shots of Stenson in second place. | 
