Henrik Stenson’s breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour came 10 years ago at the Players Championship. He closed with a six-under 66 to finish 12 under and beat Ian Poulter by eight.
It was his second Tour win following his victory at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2007.
On Wednesday at the Players, Stenson was asked to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of that milestone Players victory. But turns out the most memorable part of the victory celebration came that night on the way back to Orlando: a speeding ticket.
“I think 90 [mph] on I-95 is enough to get attention, I guess,” he said. “Yeah, it was a rather quick car. And [the police officer] went back and forth, and he took a long time and he asked me where I was coming from, and he went back and forth and then he came back finally after like five, 10 minutes and he says, ‘Well, I spoke to my brother, he watched the golf, but I’ve been handing out some other tickets, so I’ve got to hand one out to you,’ and I thought, I can live with that. That Sunday made up for a speeding ticket.”
The win at TPC Sawgrass stood as Stenson’s biggest of his career until the 2016 British Open, when he hoisted the Claret Jug at Royal Troon.
Stenson tees off alongside Adam Scott and Martin Kaymer for the first round of the Players at 1:38 p.m. ET on Thursday.
