Henrik emerges Dubai hero

Dubai: Henrik Stenson took precision to a new level as he edged out Lee Westwood in a high-voltage Hero Challenge under the lights at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai.

Stenson, who received the winner’s trophy from Pawan Munjal, chairman, MD and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, thwarted Westwood’s attempt to become the first player to win the Hero Challenge more than once. In the process, the Swede who spends a lot of his time in Dubai, became the seventh new winner of the ‘Hero Challenge’, which has now been held seven times in three years, beginning in 2016.

Westwood won the event at the 2017 British Masters in Newcastle.

Since its inaugural edition, the innovative one-hole-knockout night Golf event has become very popular with players and spectators alike.

The Indo-English duo of Shubhankar Sharma and Tommy Fleetwood, who failed to reach the final, beat Thomas Bjorn and Patrick Reed in a contest that required the players to answer a question correctly to get a shot at the floating green.

Stenson, winner of The Open, was in sizzling form from the word go and topped Group One with 190 point. In the final, Stenson found the floating target with each of his five shots to comprehensively beat Westwood 105-85.

Interestingly, Westwood could have turned the event in his favour as his fourth shot hit the pin and unfortunately rolled into the five-point zone.

Earlier, Westwood started the proceedings with 100 points in his allotted 60 seconds, while Fleetwood managed 95 and India’s Shubhankar Sharma fathered only 50 points. As Sharma was knocked out, Westwood and Fleetwood moved into semifinals.

In the other group, Europe’s Ryder Cup wining captain Thomas Bjorn opened with 130 points but Stenson racked up 190 before Masters Tournament winner Patrick Reed collected 135, eliminating Bjorn.