The Iceman
All-time good guy Henrik Stenson retrieves kid’s soccer ball out of the ocean mid-round, flashes footy skills for the cameras
Find us a person who doesn’t like Henrik Stenson. Go ahead, we’ll wait. The big Swede is one of golf’s greatest characters—possessing all of Phil’s charm with none of the ego and all of Poulter’s wit with none of the, um, Poulter-ness. Whether taking shots at himself on Instagram, stripping down to his Fruit of the Looms for a PG-13 recovery shot, or out-duelling Lefty in one of the great final rounds in Open history, Stenson has done it all with a smile on face. But in case you needed more proof that Stenson is one of golf’s last true Good Guys, the Iceman delivered on Thursday, taking a break from his opening round at the Saudi International to fetch a young spectator’s soccer ball out of the literal ocean.
Normally when you're on a beach at professional golf tournament it's a bad sign, but in this case Stenson was just being his good-samaritan self. Never one to a let good gag go to waste, however, Stenson also took the moment to flash his soccer skills, putting on an impromptu juggling exhibition for the Al Murooj gallery. Zlatan he ain’t, but still not too shabby, especially for a golf guy from a hockey country.
In the end, Stenson’s little seaside escapade probably won’t register too much on golf’s weekend Richter Scale. Bubba is Tik Toking around the Phoenix Open while Bryson and Phil are in the field out east, soaking up the Arabian rays. It’s tough to make headlines with those two gobbling up every available eyeball, but if we’ve learned one thing over the years, it’s to never underestimate King Henrik . . . either of them, now that we mention it.