DP World Tour news: LIV golfer Henrik Stenson to make tour return in Abu Dhabi
- Planet Sport writer
- 5 January 2023
Henrik Stenson is set to make his first appearance on the DP World Tour since joining LIV Golf and being sacked as Ryder Cup captain.
Stenson has not played on the DP World Tour since last July, missing the cut in the Scottish Open and also making an early exit from the Open Championship, which he won in 2016.
Five days later, Stenson was removed as Ryder Cup captain with immediate effect due to him joining the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, his tenure having lasted just 127 days.
The 46-year-old earned 4million US dollars (£3.3million) for winning his first LIV event in New Jersey on July 31, with his replacement as Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, announced the following day.
Stenson and Donald both feature on the newly-released entry list for the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship from January 19-22, along with the likes of LIV players Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and former Masters champion Patrick Reed.
The PGA Tour has suspended members who competed in LIV Golf events, while the DP World Tour fined players £100,000 and banned them from the Genesis Scottish Open, but saw that temporarily stayed on appeal.
The full appeal will be heard next month by Sport Resolutions, a UK-based dispute resolution service, and will effectively decide if the Tour has the right to sanction LIV golfers for playing in "conflicting events" without permission or if they can continue to compete and so remain eligible for the Ryder Cup.
Spain's Adrian Otaegui, who has played in four LIV events, currently occupies an automatic qualifying place for this year's contest in Rome thanks primarily to his victory in the Andalucia Masters at Valderrama.