Henrik Stenson takes Abu Dhabi lead on back of no practice

All play and no work paid dividends for Henrik Stenson in the first round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.

The Swede, coming off an off-season break where he rarely touched a club, shot an 8-under 64 at Abu Dhabi Golf Club to take a two-shot lead over four players, including past winner Martin Kaymer and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

Asked to explain the round, Stenson, in his typical deadpan fashion, said, “It must be the lack of practice that does it. Lack of sleep, lack of practice.”

“It must be that lack of sleep and lack of practice”#ADGolfChamps pic.twitter.com/gZB56YSDzB

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 19, 2017

The bogey-free round was the first for Stenson since finishing runner-up to Hideki Matsuyama at the Hero World Challenge in December. Stenson admitted to putting in little work into his game — some into his short game — before arriving in the United Arab Emirates. He said he hit some buckets of range balls, too. Vigorous.

“So very limited preparation,” Stenson said. “That might be the way forward, I don’t know.”

The Carlos Franco School of Golf endorses Stenson’s practice schedule. Then again, at this point in his career, Stenson has little need to change what he’s doing in terms of his game. He just needs a few swings to remind him how to do it.

“I think if you finish off playing pretty well like I did at the Hero World Challenge,” Stenson said, “there’s nothing that says you can’t pick it up where you left it.”

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo Sports

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