In describing his form over recent weeks, Henrik Stenson said he had been moving in calm waters, but now it’s very much a case of full steam ahead as the Swede targets the BMW PGA Championship and a €725,000 first prize that would strengthen his grip at the top of The 2007 European Tour Order of Merit.
After adding two more significant victories to his name already this year, at the Dubai Desert Classic and the WGC – Accenture Match Play, Stenson is looking to make it a top-class hat-trick by heading the leaderboard at Wentworth Club come Sunday evening.
The World Number Seven said: “With the start I’ve made to the season, and the position I am now in, the challenge to stay Number One is one of my highest priorities. I hope to stay there all season long.
“Since the Accenture Match Play my form has not been great with a lot of finishes around 15th to 20th. It’s just been slow in the calm waters, behind the other guys, but this week hopefully I can have my best BMW PGA Championship so far.
“I’ve had three weeks in America and it’s good to be back in Europe and back at Wentworth, seeing the familiar faces again.”
Stenson holds top spot on the Order of Merit with a total of €1,615,383, but his position will come under huge pressure from a world-class international field that has assembled for The European Tour’s flagship event.
South Africa’s Ernie Els, ranked fifth in the world, heads a list of global stars that also includes Vijay Singh of Fiji (sixth), South Africa’s Retief Goosen, ranked nine in the world and second on The European Tour Order of Merit with €1,215,982, Luke Donald of England (tenth), Padraig Harrington (11th) and England’s Paul Casey (15th).
In all, 20 winners from the current season are taking part along with no fewer than seven Major Championship winners.
Few, though, will have more support around the manicured fairways of the West Course than England’s Ross Fisher, a Member of Wentworth Club and a young man - to continue Stenson’s analogy - who has made some substantial waves since joining The European Tour last season.
And none more so than when finishing tied fifth behind Stenson at this year’s Dubai Desert Classic, having been paired with World Number One Tiger Woods in the final round.
Fisher said: “I was pretty gutted that I didn’t win because I felt like I had played so well all week and if it wasn’t for a couple of bad breaks here, a couple of putts there, it could have been a different story.
“However, I took a lot from that Sunday playing with Tiger and going head-to-head with the world’s best player. Watching his mental toughness and knowing that he wasn’t playing his best but still managed to grind out a score, was probably what I most took from the experience.
“Obviously I will be trying to play to the best of my abilities again this week and I’m hoping that all the support from family, friends and club members will carry me through. It’s a big confidence boost knowing there is so much support for me.”
