by Jeff Skinner
As a rainy Labor Day rolled around the Deutsche Bank Championship Sergio Garcia was poised to make that final climb up Mt. Redemption. Sergio’s season has taken a difficult turn ever since he used the infamous “fried chicken” reference. With a two stroke lead the day was his for the taking. But the ascent to the top proved too difficult for the troubled Spaniard and his final round 73 left him in a tie for fourth.
Garcia wasn’t the only player desperately seeking redemption. Henrik Stenson was up to the challenge and the 37 year old Swede had been trying to break through with a win all season.
Stenson had fallen out of the top 200 in the world as recently last season and he withdrew from the 2012 Open Championship with a near terminal case of the “swing yips.” At that time he couldn’t even start his backswing with a driver in his hand. It was a very long way back.
But this season Stenson had started his climb back to the top golfers in the world. In big tournaments he performed amazingly well with a T18 at Augusta, a T5 at The Players and a respectful T21 at the U.S. Open.
More recently Stenson was definitely in the hunt on the biggest stages. He had chances to win the season’s last two majors and finished second at The Open Championship and third at the PGA Championship.
Through months of hard work and determination with everyone from his swing coach, trainer and mental coach Stenson was able to find the game that had earned him seven European Tour wins and two previous PGA Tour victories.
His climb to the peak of Mt. Redemption is sweet indeed and with all the work Stenson has put in it’s only fitting that it comes on Labor Day.
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