Client News
Stenson aiming to build on improvement
Jeju, Korea, 21 April 2010 - Henrik Stenson will tee off in the Ballantine’s Championship buoyed by a top 10 finish last week and the feeling that his game is coming together.
The Swede – a six-time winner on the European Tour – is one of the leading contenders at the €2.2 million showpiece, which starts on Thursday (22 April) at Pinx Golf Club on the island of Jeju in Korea.
He is looking to kick on after last week’s China Open where he finished strongly, leaping from 34th after two rounds to wind up joint eighth.
“I played all right last week and I think any tournament where you finish top 10 is a pretty good week,” he said. “I’m moving along and yes, I’ve got a bit to go, but I hope to be able to have a decent week here as well.
“I need a few more rounds and possibly a few more good weeks of practice before it’s all there but, yes, I’m feeling OK.”
Stenson finished five shots behind winner YE Yang in Shanghai. “I wasn’t that far off in the end,” he added. “I expect to be up there and giving myself a decent chance to win on the weekend at regular events.”
The Swede took part in last year’s Ballantine’s Championship when the final two rounds were played in unusually cold and windy conditions.
“I know the course and it hasn’t changed much from last year,” he said. “You can reach pretty much all the par fives in two so you can obviously have a good day and make a few birdies or hopefully an eagle.
“It’s all going to depend on the weather how low the scoring is going to be. We still had a few holes to play today [in the pro-am] and before we finished the wind really kicked in, it was blowing pretty hard. It’s a different golf course when you’ve got a 30 mile an hour wind, that’s for sure.
“The key to playing in the wind is always controlling your ball flight, and I’ve had lots of good finishes in the past in difficult circumstances. I think I’m reasonably good at grinding it out and playing well in tough conditions.”
Stenson is joined in the Ballantine’s Championship by Yang, world No.7 Ernie Els and three-time PGA Tour winner Anthony Kim. The tournament is once again co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Korea PGA.
About Ballantine’s
Korea’s favourite Scotch, Ballantine’s, is also the No.1 Scotch whisky range across the Asia Pacific region (17 years old and above – IWSR) and the No.2 Scotch whisky brand in the world. Ballantine’s has won over 60 trophies and medals at international competitions in the past 10 years for quality, as a result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the iconic 30 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of master blenders that dates back to 1827.
Ballantine’s is the title sponsor of the Ballantine’s Championship and an official sponsor of both the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China and the Barclay’s Scottish Open held in Loch Lomond, Scotland.
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Released on behalf of the Ballantine’s Championship by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.