Henrik Stenson withdrew from The Barclays, the FedEx Cup playoff opener, after a first-round 74 and said he would be ready to play at the Deutsche Bank Championship after a MRI.
He indeed is playing this weekend at TPC Boston, but the 2015 runner-up to Rickie Fowler will not play next week at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in Carmel, Ind. Instead, Stenson will rest the surgically-repaired right knee, namely his meniscus, that was fixed in the 2015 off-season in December.
“There’s a slight tear,” Stenson said of the meniscus. “It’s fine to hit golf shots, but walking is the hard part.”
Entering the second of four playoff events, the reigning Open champion came in at No. 21 in FedEx Cup points. The top 70 players get into the BMW Championship, so there is no concern for Stenson to move on beyond this round. However, without a good finish on Labor Day Monday, Stenson is in danger of missing the 30-player Tour Championship by skipping the BMW Championship.
The good news for Stenson, if there is any in being injured, is that he isn't in danger of losing his PGA Tour membership by not playing the minimum 15-event schedule required to keep status. Fortunately, the Olympic golf tournament and the Ryder Cup count toward that tally.
Stenson, in his typical dry fashion, suggested all of his summer success might have extended further back in time had he injured himself sooner.
“Given the summer I’ve had," he joked, "maybe I should have torn it even earlier.”
