History-making golf legend comes out of retirement in shock return to The Open at Royal Portrush
Former Open champion Stenson has teamed up with the legendary caddie Fanny Sunesson, who won four Majors with
Advertisement
4
Henrik Stenson and Fanny Sunesson at Royal Portrush this week
Credit: Alamy
4
Fanny Sunesson has come out of retirement to work alongside the former Open champion
Credit: Getty
Sunesson retired from full-time caddying in 2012 with a back injury but has occasionally carried the bag for her pal Stenson in the years since, most notably at the Masters six years ago.
And now she is back again — at the age of 58, walking the fairways of
energy
gels.
Ollie Banks, who is Co-Team Principal of LIV Golf's Majesticks team which includes Stenson, said: 'She is still in and around the
golf
scene quite a bit.
Advertisement
read more on the open
'Obviously she is a spectacular caddie and worked with a number of icons in the game. She certainly knows what she is doing.
'So they've got a great friendship and have been together for a long time. It's
nice
to see her back out here.
'She has gone off now to walk some extra holes. She still loves it and lives and breathes the game. She is a great person to be around as well. She has got a great infectious personality.'
Sunesson was back on the bag two weeks ago for the LIV Golf event in Dallas, where Stenson finished tied 45th.
Advertisement
Most read in Sport
BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS
She was Stenson's full-time caddie from 2006 to 2011, and together they won the
Dubai
Desert Classic, the WGC-Match Play and Players
Championship
.
Before that, she had an amazing 14-year spell with Faldo, when she became the first woman to caddie for a Major winner.
The secret underground tunnel where Open golfers hide from thunderstorms but only certain stars can use it at Portrush
Advertisement
He memorably gave her a Claret Jug charm that she still wears on a necklace.
Sir Nick paid tribute to Sunesson's amazing ability as a caddie when he recalled his Masters win of 1990.
4
Nick Faldo checks his score card with caddy Fanny Sunesson in 1997
Credit: Reuters
4
Nick Faldo gets a hug from Fanny Sunesson after he won the 1996 Masters
Credit: AP:Associated Press
Advertisement
Faldo said: 'Fanny Sunesson was a key figure that week.
'She became the first women caddie ever to win the Masters, ever to win a major even, and I don't think I could have matched Jack Nicklaus and successfully defended without her.
'To my mind, Fanny should be a member of not only the caddie Hall of Fame, but inducted into golf's main Hall of Fame full stop.'
In her incredible career spanning 40 years, Sunesson has appeared in more than 750 tournaments around the world, racking up an incredible 25 professional tournament wins and caddying in six
Advertisement
She recently said: 'I never thought of myself as a female caddie - just a caddie.
'Being a caddie is a tough life, with travelling all the time and not always being treated well. But maybe I've been treated better sometimes because I'm a woman - I don't know.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
a minute ago
- Irish Independent
Watch: Rory McIlroy feeds off Portrush support to stay in Open hunt despite bizarre incident during his round
Rory vows to take the fight to Scheffler on Open's final day Roared on by a 50,000-strong home crowd at Royal Portrush, the Holywood star birdied three of his first four holes and while he stalled mid-round and bogeyed the 11th, an eagle at the 12th, followed by another birdie at the 15th, gave him hope. Scheffler was not at his very best but after starting with six pars, he went eagle-birdie at the seventh and eighth, then followed stellar par saves at the 11th and 14th with his third successive birdie two at the 16th en route to a 67 that gave him a four-shot lead over China's Haotong Li (69) and five shots to spare over Matt Fitzpatrick (71) on 14-under. 'Look, Scottie Scheffler, he's inevitable, even when he doesn't have his best stuff,' said McIlroy, who is tied for fourth with American duo Chris Gotterup (68), Harris English (68) and England's Tyrrell Hatton (68) on eight-under. 'He's become a complete player. He's so good around the greens. He's improved so much with his putter. It's going to be tough to catch him if he keeps playing the way he does. 'But if I can get out and get off to a similar start, get the crowd going, hopefully he sees that a couple of groups behind me and you never know. 'I just need to go out and play another really good round of golf and see what happens.' McIlroy knows he has a chance, but he will need to drive the ball better, having escaped disaster by inches several times yesterday. He got off to a magnificent start, rolling in a big, breaking 35-footer for birdie at the first and added further birdies at the second and fourth to get to within four of Scheffler's lead. He was still just four shots behind as he headed down the 11th but made bogey as his approach from the right rough ballooned into the air and went just 114 yards as a lost ball buried under his own killed its flight. Scheffler then sprang to life by making a 10-footer for eagle at the seventh to get to 12-under. But while McIlroy raised the roof by holing a 56-footer down the slope for an eagle at the 12th, he described as 'one of the coolest moments I've ever had on a golf course', Scheffler brushed in a 16-footer for birdie at the eighth. McIlroy kept the foot down and birdied the 15th from four feet, but as Scheffler got up and down from heavy rough at the 11th, McIlroy had to scramble for par from the banks of the War Hallow at the 16th to remain five behind. Scheffler then made a 10-footer for par at the 14th and birdied the 16th to extend his lead, but McIlroy felt he gave the crowd what they came to see. 'Yeah, it was incredible,' he said. 'It was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four ... then, to play those last seven holes at three-under, I thought that was a good effort. 'I played well. I rode my luck at times, but it was an incredible atmosphere out there. I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance.' Scheffler will have other ideas and after going bogey-free and dropping just three shots so far this week, McIlroy will likely need to go even lower today to have a chance. As for Shane Lowry, the 2019 champion's nightmare week continued when he was struck by a stomach virus overnight and carded a three-over 74 to end the day on three over. Shane Lowry. Photo: Sportsfile 'I haven't eaten today yet,' said Lowry, who admitted he was still 'gutted' over the two-stroke penalty that turned a second-round 70 into a 72. 'I tried to get a protein drink down me after eight holes and felt like throwing up all over the place. So yeah, it's been a tough, tough day, but I'm not going to make excuses.' As for the rules incident, he admitted it was a big blow, but he was reluctant to talk about it again.'To be honest, I'm gutted,' said Lowry, who hopes to finish on a high today, take a break and then come back feeling strong for the FedExCup playoffs and Europe's Ryder Cup defence.
RTÉ News
30 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Rory McIlroy not giving up pursuit of 'inevitable' Scottie Scheffler
Masters champion Rory McIlroy accepts even his considerable talents may not be enough to reel in a six-shot gap to world number one Scottie Scheffler on the final day of The Open at Royal Portrush. A third-round 66 l ifted McIlroy to eight under par but he was always playing catch up to the American, whose 67 saw him extend his overnight lead to four - with the Holywood man a further two adrift. McIlroy rode the wave of local support, enjoying the experience of having him here for all four days after he missed the cut in 2019, and in a feverish atmosphere there were times when it looked like he might produce something truly special. Three birdies in his opening four holes would have had some considering whether, in their wildest dreams, he could replicate the 61 he shot here as a 16-year-old but a major championship is a different prospect and he just could not sustain the momentum. "It was incredible, it was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four," said McIlroy, who described his opponent as "inevitable". "To play those last seven holes at three-under I thought was a good effort. I played well, I rode my luck at times, but I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow. "But he's playing like Scottie. I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years. "He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. He's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well so there doesn't seem to be any weakness there. "Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive." The first four holes were vintage McIlroy, holing putts from 36 and 27 feet – for eagle – before a brilliant approach to seven feet at the fourth picked up another shot. But his momentum stalled and a bizarre incident on the 11th when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball resulted in a bogey. However, the response was thrilling, holing a monster 56-foot eagle putt – his longest of the week – at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament with another birdie coming after hitting the flagstick at 15. "The eagle on 12 was one of the coolest moments – it's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course," added McIlroy. "What happened on 11, my ball came out so strange. I thought I was going to get a flier and I looked up at my ball and I could see it spinning up against the wind. "I obviously had no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. It's never happened to me before." To take his mind off Scheffler McIlroy will return to the three-hour epic Oppenheimer on Saturday night. "I started Oppenheimer last night and I'll try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning," he added. "Apart from that, just keep my mind off of things. I always do better with distraction so if I can just distract myself and get my mind on something else that's always a good plan for me."
RTÉ News
30 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Scottie Scheffler in command in Portrush but Rory McIlroy challenge still alive
Relentless Scottie Scheffler kept his head as others around him were losing theirs, but while his main rivals fell away, the spectre of Rory McIlroy loomed in the distance. However, the Holywood man's six-shot deficit may be too far back even for someone who completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters earlier this year, considering the quality of his quarry. Shane Lowry's woes continued as he fell to three-over par. The Offaly man, controversially hit with a two-shot penalty at the end of Friday's play, revealed afterwards that a virus had left him unwell during his round, but he refused to use it as an excuse. A triple bogey was particularly costly for Lowry as he finished his day in a tie for 63rd and on three-over par. McIlroy's description of Scheffler as "inevitable" summed up the situation perfectly, as while the American was not as spectacular as he was on Friday in assuming the lead, his progress to a 67 and a four-shot advantage was serene. Matt Fitzpatrick, who began the day one behind, briefly drew level after an eagle at the second but he was never able to edge himself in front, and every time he slipped up he was punished by his playing partner, either by moving another shot away or saving an unlikely par. McIlroy, six groups ahead, rode the wave of home support hyped by three birdies in his first four holes, and while his momentum stalled it was reignited by a monster 56-foot eagle putt – his longest of the week – at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament. It was important as he had bogeyed the previous hole in a bizarre incident when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball. But it was a stroke of good luck at the 15th which brought his final birdie of the day as, coming out hot from the rough, it bounced against the flagstick and dropped four feet from the hole. McIlroy mania reached its peak at the 17th. With his burnt orange shirt appearing red on television screens, the sight of him marching out of the packed gallery surrounded by thousands of fans was reminiscent of Tiger Woods. The crowd were so ramped they went wild as he pitched 33 feet past the hole, offering little chance of birdie, but they believed – as they will continue to do on Sunday. The Masters champion, however, is a little more realistic. "Scottie Scheffler, he is inevitable. Even when he doesn't have his best stuff he has become a compete player," said McIlroy. "It's going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does, but if I can get out tomorrow with a similar start to today and get the crowd going, hopefully he feels that behind me – and you never know." Scheffler looks unshakeable, though. Already with a three-shot lead, he birdied the difficult Calamity Corner 16th for the third successive day and the gap was looking as big as the chasm in front of the par three. China's ultra-consistent Haotong Li is his closest challenger, with Fitzpatrick dropping back to nine under – where he started the round – having reached 11 under. Scheffler reeled off six straight pars but still did not lose his overnight lead before a back-to-back eagle and birdie represented a gear shift. His back nine included eight pars, and the kind of nerveless saves which have made him one of the most successful and consistent golfers of the last three years – closing out victory the last 10 times he has held the outright 54-hole leads. "A lot of it is staying patient. I know what I need to do tomorrow and it is a matter of going out and doing it," said Scheffler, whose three majors wins have all come leading after the third round. DAY 3 RECAP - MCILROY FINISHES SIX BACK "I'm not thinking about winning The Open when I go to sleep tonight." Englishman Tyrrell Hatton got himself to nine under but a bogey at the 16th halted his progress, while slightly further down the leaderboard 52-year-old compatriot Lee Westwood had a round of two halves, going out in 40 before an Open record-equalling 29 for the back nine. "It was a good back nine, wasn't it? I'd have taken 29 on the back nine stood on the 10th tee," he said. Defending champion Xander Schauffele, who started the day two under having been in danger of missing the cut until a birdie run on his Friday back nine, played the three par-fives in five under with two eagles on the back nine after a birdie at the second. His 66 moved him to seven under but the two-time major winner accepts he is too far back. "It would have to be a perfect storm situation, it doesn't look like any of those boys up front are letting up," he said.
