Henrik kept tight-lipped about it, but with a toddler at home and another on the way, the mental stress must have been enormous. Several years later he reflected on the man who had caused him and others so much anguish: “I never met Stanford and it’s safe to say I won’t be visiting him in prison! If I did come face-to-face with him, then what I’d do to the guy could get me arrested also. I didn’t have all my eggs in his basket, but I had a lot of eggs in there and it hurt. It was a tough experience, but life has a way of setting things right.”
The resurgence is a much better-known story. From his nadir at the start of the 2012 season, Henrik fought back, winning what he calls the “double-double” in 2013. In an unbelievable two-month spell, he was unstoppable, winning events on both sides of the Atlantic to claim both the FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour and the Race to Dubai in Europe. In a matter of weeks he had won well over double the amount Stanford had cost him, and he’s thankful that unlike many others, he was in a position to recover what he lost.
And so to chilly Shanghai. His recovery has been such that it seems strange that he hasn’t yet won a major championship. When I point out that he may well be the current “Best Player Without a Major” he seems genuinely touched. “Wow! Thanks for thinking that, there are a lot of brilliant players who could have that title,” he replies.
Does the lack of a major worry him? “Not really. If you mean, do I feel extra pressure as a result? – No, not really. Obviously, I know how important majors are and I’d dearly like to win one or more, but I think the way to do so is to just be ready when your chance comes along. I feel I have the game to do it, and I’ve been close before, so maybe 2016 will be my year.”
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