Sleeper Picks: The RSM Classic

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As kids, Henrik Stenson and Emma Lofgren frequently played in the same junior golf tournaments. In fact, they both made the same Swedish national team one year. But the team photo, resurrected by the couple years later, hardly foreshadows what was to come. The future husband and wife were sitting in opposite corners of the frame. “It’s kind of funny,’â€� Emma says. “We knew of each other, but we didn’t really know each other. It was interesting to see it afterwards.â€� She even remembers eating breakfast with her mother once at a hotel before a match play tournament. Henrik came over and asked if he could join them. Of course, mother and daughter said yes. “When we went out to the parking lot and he took off in his BMW, my mom turned around and said, Emma, that is the guy for you,â€� she recalls. Emma, however, was more embarrassed by her mother’s words than smitten – at least at the time. “Mom, you’re the biggest goofball,â€� Emma recalls saying. “That will never happen. Just let it go. You know how you are with your mom.â€� The summer after her freshman year at South Carolina, though, things changed. One of Emma’s friends was dating one of Henrik’s buddies and the two found themselves at the same dinner party. Casual dates, often with friends, as is the custom in Sweden, followed. Their first was to an amusement park. But Emma soon had to return to Columbia, South Carolina for her sophomore year, and the more than 4,500 miles between them was daunting for the budding relationship. “This was 1997,â€� she recalls. “You didn’t have cell phones or Skype or anything like that. I just told him I would call when I got there.’ Emma was busy when she returned to USC, though. About two weeks later, armed with her international calling card, she found a phone booth and dialed Henrik’s number. “He’s like, what’s going on? Why have you not called me?â€� Emma recalls. Only later did she learn that while she was incommunicado Henrik had a bit of a meltdown at a team event back home. “For some reason he wasn’t really mentally there that week because I hadn’t called him in two weeks,’ Emma says, adding that after he and his partner both hit balls out-of-bounds on the same hole, “I think he ditched his pull cart in a little pond.â€� Their shared love of golf wasn’t the only attraction for the couple, though. Even when they were teenagers, Emma found Henrik, who is known to be a bit of a prankster, to be less superficial than many of the guys she dated. “At that age when it’s hormones and you’re 17, 18, 19, it’s all about looks and how you are,â€� she says. “He just kind of went much deeper than that. We had really good conversation. We had lots of stuff in common. It took me a while to be sure, of course, when you are that young. When you are that age, you shoot for the good-looking guys or the exciting guys that are going to take you for a spin. “I think I was kind of passed that stage in my life. I had too many bad experiences. He really interested me and still does because he’s not like everybody else.â€� For the next three years, Henrik came to Columbia as often as he could between tournaments to be with Emma. Puggy Blackmon, who coached the Gamecocks at the time, let Henrik practice with his team. “He was with me for two or three weeks, and then he went off to Argentina and China to play events,â€� Emma remembers. “… I think it is the best setup for the life we live today.â€� Emma had pro aspirations of her own, though, and even tried to qualify for the Ladies European Tour. When that didn’t work out, she got certified to teach, which she did in the summers. Winters often found her traveling to places like Australia and New Zealand where she would caddy for her husband. “What I did was basically try to keep everything intact when it comes to the bag and keep the pace, and mostly just mentally try to keep him happy,â€� Emma says. “I stayed away from doing his yardage when I caddied as it would not have been great if I made a mistake with the numbers. “So he did his stuff and I carried the bag in 99 percent humidity and 110 degrees in Malaysia.â€� As Henrik progressed – he won three times in his first full season on the Challenge Tour – a professional caddie became a must. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t times when Emma, who can be found in her husband’s gallery whenever she travels with him, would like to get back inside the ropes. “I could never do what they do when it comes to numbers and knowing the course, but sometimes I just wish I could jump into the caddie’s head and just give my husband a little kick in the butt,â€� Emma says. “I know his body language so well. I wish I could sometimes be there, as well, to kind of just say the right things when I see that he needs something. “I know as a wife he can really not fire me or be upset as much as he could with his caddie.â€� The couple was together 10 years before they got married on New Year’s Eve in 2006. They were living in Dubai at the time, and visa issues prompted the wedding, a three-day affair for 70 guests with golf and parties that was planned in a mere three months. “We never really had a down on one knee, I love you, do you want to marry me (moment),â€� Emma says. “It was kind of more, okay, this is what we need to do to make it work. “We don’t do much of the romance in our family, but it worked out pretty well anyway.â€� Henrik and Emma, who split time between their homes in Florida and Sweden, now have three children. Henrik has been extraordinarily successful – winning the FedExCup in 2013 and the Open Championship three years later, closing with a 63 in a memorable duel with Phil Mickelson. Henrik’s sixth PGA TOUR victory came just last month at the Wyndham Championship. He also has 11 on the European Tour and twice won the Race to Dubai. Emma says she’s excited to put the spoils of victory in their trophy case because she knows the sacrifice behind each win. “I love the game of golf so much that I really have enjoyed our journey together,â€� she says. “I go to the tournaments to watch him play golf and really enjoy the competition that he goes through. I always kind of get a kick out of it, as well. I enjoy as much as probably he does in that sense. “So it’s never been weird or awkward — I’ve been his biggest supporter in that sense. As a golfer, I’ve probably walked most golf courses in the world and not played them. To have such a talent that he has and some of the guys on TOUR have, it’s so rare.â€� And of course, no one knows a TOUR player better than his wife. So now that you know a little more about this special couple, Emma gives us 18 things you might not know about the former FedExCup champ. 1. As a child Henrik loved counting money which was mostly earned from selling newspapers in the neighborhood on the weekends. 2. Henrik loves a good deal! Once he went on-line and ordered a bicycle from China. But the bank blocked the charge on our credit card because they thought it was fraud. So, he never got it – but that’s not a bad thing because the bike had to be assembled and if it had ever shown up at our house it would definitely still be in the box. 🙂 3. Henrik loves saving things. He always tells me that you never know when it can come in handy. I try to convince him to move on, clean out and simplify but rarely he listens. 4. Technology is not his strength. I remind him when technology fails that the positives mostly outweigh the negatives. 5. Henrik is an animal lover. He would do anything to save or help an animal. When we’re in the car, he always slams the brake if an animal in in the road or darts in front if the car. 6. He loves candy! Especially Swedish candy. And it’s all or nothing for H. Either he goes full out or totally stays away from it! Quite the addiction. 7. Henrik is a generous man. He always makes sure that he takes care of the people around him. Lots of times he puts others before himself which is something I love about him. 8. He is light sensitive. He always struggles in the sun with no glasses. I have plenty of bad pictures with him squinting from the sun! 9. Henrik never went to college. But he hung out with me during my college years at South Carolina and got to practice with the men’s team at my school before turning pro at the end of 1998. 10. Henrik does not like to waste food in the fridge. Therefore, his leftover lunches can be quite the combo. 🙂 11. Henrik has an amazing memory. Everything from golf shots to golf courses and of course, where I misplaced my stuff – thank goodness. 12. Henrik is great with numbers, so we rarely need a calculator. 13. Henrik values morals very highly. He stands by his word and very rarely changes something that has been planned or promised. 14. He is definitely not the romantic type but his sense of humor definitely makes up for it! 15. Planning ahead and staying organized – whether it’s with golf or projects on the side — is important for Henrik. 16. He suffers from bad grass allergies. And that’s not great when you are a golfer! 17. Henrik never plays with the number 4 on his golf balls. He uses numbers 1, 2 and 3 for the first three days, then he goes back to 1s in the final round. 18. He is left-handed, left-footed and left-eye dominant but Henrik plays golf right-handed.

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Sure, we’ll take three more of those, please. Thank you. Golf fans can be greedy, but they know enough not to hold their collective breath for another formidable faceoff like the one we witnessed on Sunday at Glen Oaks. Not only did it feature A-listers Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth, but the playoff from which DJ emerged with the new trophy at THE NORTHERN TRUST was just the second such overtime in any tournament in the last six editions of the FedExCup Playoffs. Then again, maybe we’re embarking on a fresh trend because the last playoff happened to occur at last year’s TOUR Championship. Rory McIlroy prevailed in a three-man playoff at East Lake that also clinched the FedExCup. Before he can defend both of those titles, he’s back at TPC Boston to defend his two-stroke victory at the Dell Technologies Championship. Back to his winning ways and in style at that. Tops on TOUR in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Fifth in both par-5 scoring and adjusted scoring. Three top 10s at TPC Boston. T46 in his title defense last year, but his 2016 summer was an anomaly. Five top 10s and another two top 25s in his last seven starts worldwide. Second in adjusted scoring. Solo fifth at Glen Oaks was his third fifth-place finish since the Travelers; T11 and T13 in the other two. Led by three entering finale at TPC Boston last year and lost by two. Two-time champ and all-time earnings leader at TPC Boston where his scoring average is 68.50. Leads TOUR in strokes gained: off-the-tee. Third in adjusted scoring. Scratched and clawed for a T6 at THE NORTHERN TRUST, his best finish since a P2 at the AT&T Byron Nelson in May. Top 20s in seven of his last tries at TPC Boston. En route to his playoff loss at Glen Oaks, led the field in average distance of putts made. Leads TOUR in adjusted scoring. Fifth in GIR and third in birdie-or-better percentage. Answered a co-runner-up at the PGA with a T10 at THE NORTHERN TRUST. Top fives in the last two DTCs with a scoring average of 68.75 in those eight rounds. Continues to sparkle with surprisingly strong putting. T10 at Glen Oaks chased a T2 in the PGA. Runner-up at TPC Boston in 2012; T12 (2015) and T8 (2016) since. Back after birth of his second child. Four top 10s and a T16 in his last six trips to TPC Boston with a scoring average of 68.375. Sits 14th on TOUR in adjusted scoring. Quietly submitted four sub-70s at Glen Oaks to finish T6 on the vapor trail of his victory at Quail Hollow. He’s led the TOUR in birdie-or-better percentage for seven months. As consistent a threat as ever. Consecutive top 10s at Quail Hollow and Glen Oaks. Top 10s at TPC Boston in 2013 and 2015. Fifth in scrambling, 12th in adjusted scoring. How’s that for a FedExCup Playoffs debut! T3 at THE NORTHERN TRUST to scale to fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking. It was his first top 25 in his last four starts, a drought for him. Failed to find comfort on the greens at Glen Oaks and missed the cut. Phenomenal year otherwise. Fourth appearance at TPC Boston. Personal-best T15 last year. Soaring. With a solo third at Sedgefield at T6 at Glen Oaks, he’s connected top 10s for the first time since early in 2013-14. Winner at TPC Boston in 2011; T9 in 2014.  Putted great at Glen Oaks for a T6, his third top 15 in four starts. Top 15s in last two tries at TPC Boston despite no red numbers in last two rounds; 36-hole leader last year. Survived cut at Glen Oaks on the number and carded a field-low-tying 65 on Sunday for a T17. Six top 20s in last eight starts. Winner here in 2010; solo third in 2015. Too much firepower to ignore despite last week’s T49 and a 1-for-2 slate at TPC Boston (T57, 2016). Leads TOUR in average distance of putts made; second in par-5 scoring. Missed cut at the PGA Championship is suddenly the outlier after a T3 at Glen Oaks. Won a month ago in Canada and answered that with a T17 at Firestone. Authored the second-best Playoffs debut at THE NORTHERN TRUST with a T10. Led the field in greens hit and ranked third in strokes gained: tee-to-green. Performed well on cue on unfamiliar greens at Glen Oaks, placing T10. Just one top 50 at TPC Boston (T16, 2013) in the Playoffs, but sat T7 after 54 holes last year. POWER RANKINGS: Dell Technologies Championship RANK PLAYER COMMENT Sergio Garcia, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Kevin Kisner and Phil Mickelson will be included in notables in Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider. The learning curve at TPC Boston never ends. The par 71 in Norton, Massachusetts, undergoes some form of significant updating almost every year. For returnees in the field of 96 at the Dell Technologies Championship, holes 12 and 13 will require new notes. The 12th features a new tee, a redone fairway with a trio of new bunkers and a brand new green that’s much further away on approach than the previous target. With an aggregate increase of 49 yards, the hole can now measure 510 yards, making it the longest par 4 on the property. No. 13 also is a par 4. It’s been shaved four yards (to 447) but it also has a new green complex with five bunkers. TPC Boston now tips at 7,342 yards, its longest since the redesign prior to the advent of the Playoffs in 2007. Despite modifications over time, TPC Boston typically averages within a stroke under par. Last year’s field checked in at 70.243. The challenge isn’t so much getting the ball in the hole, but how quickly. Each of the last three winners scored 15-under 269 and finished among the leaders in multiple putting metrics. Tuesday’s Confidence Factor will dive into more of those details. The second tournament of the FedExCup Playoffs is scheduled to begin in its customary position on Friday. The first two rounds are expected to be contested in spectacular weather conditions with sunshine and high temperatures in the mid-70s. Moderate winds may freshen come Sunday and for the scheduled Monday finish on Labor Day. A slight increase in the chance for rain will accompany it, as will a bump in daytime heating. Henrik Stenson (22nd in FedExCup points; right knee), Brandt Snedeker (68th; sternum joint), J.B. Holmes (88th; undisclosed) and Scott Piercy (94th; shoulder) have elected not to compete. The top 70 in the FedExCup standings will advance to the BMW Championship on Sept. 14-17. The Dell Technologies Championship is the last tournament of the season with a 36-hole cut. ROB BOLTON’S WRITING SCHEDULE PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Columnist Rob Bolton will be filing his usual staples leading up to this week’s event. Look for the following columns this week. MONDAY: Rookie Ranking, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Power Rankings TUESDAY*: Sleepers, The Confidence Factor, Fantasy Insider WEDNESDAY: One & Done THURSDAY: Ownership Percentages in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf and One & Done presented by SERVPRO * – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO, which also publishes on Tuesdays.

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