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WGC HSBC CHAMPIONS

October 26, 2016

Henrik Stenson

Shanghai, China

STEVE TODD: Henrik, many thanks for joining us right off the golf course there. Welcome back to Shanghai. Talk about the golf side of things in a minute, but if we can just touch upon last night. You were bestowed with some superhero powers. Talk about the launch last night.

HENRIK STENSON: Of course, I hope those powers will remain throughout the week. I brought my normal arms today, though. I left the metal ones in Shanghai yesterday.

Yeah, it's a fun thing. It's always good to come and see downtown Shanghai and see everyone involved with the tournament and have that little bit of fun, and hopefully that will attract a few new fans to the event. I guess it's always interesting to see superheroes. I'm not sure if we are able to keep up with the expectations, but we'll give it a go anyway. Yeah, it was a fun evening.

STEVE TODD: If you could just touch on the event, as well. Of course you've already got a major in the bag this season, an Olympic Medal. How nice would it to be add a WGC title to that?

HENRIK STENSON: Yeah, it would be great. It's been a great summer for me, as you know. We've still got some golf to play. I've been resting up a little bit here. I didn't play too much the weeks before The Ryder Cup and the weeks after, so I'm feeling fairly fresh and ready to go.

It would be great to get a good start for the final couple of weeks this week here in Shanghai. It's a great event. It's gone from strength-to-strength over the years. It's become a World Golf Championship. It's the biggest tournament in Asia and attracts a very strong field.

So yeah, I haven't had super results here in the past, but hope I can turn that around this week and throw my name in the hat and be there on Sunday afternoon when it's all going to be decided.

Q. About the superhero thing, I think last year it was The Iceman, and this year it was The Machine --
HENRIK STENSON: I thought it was The Machine last year.

Q. I was going to say, if you have to have another name, superhero name next year, what would you choose for yourself?
HENRIK STENSON: Another superhero name? I thought one of those two was enough, weren't they? Oh, how much time do we have.

I know that the superhero power that I would really like to have would be to be able to fly, though. I think that would be cool. So you can work on the rest.

Or if you make a combination of the two, then I'd be the Ice Machine (laughter).

Q. We're so happy that you won your Olympic Silver Medal. Have you brought that to China? And where did you put your Silver Medal? And the second part is after winning a major and also winning a Silver Medal in the Olympics, how would you rate or how would you rank your Olympic Silver Medal among all the championships that you have won?
HENRIK STENSON: Yes, the medal is right up there. Someone is wearing it around their neck as we speak. So it's here.

Yeah, it's been in my trophy cabinet next to some of the other trophies. It's a new thing, as you know, for golf to be back in the Olympics, and I think winning a medal at the Olympics is just going to grow with time.

Still, I didn't win, and I can't put it in the same -- winning is always winning, so I can't have a second place as high up as any of my victories in that sense. But of course it's something that I'm proud of my achievement and the way I played that week. Didn't go all the way but I was close. I was there with a chance all the way to the last hole. It's something I'm very happy that I managed to achieve.

Q. Speaking of silver, can you tell us about any recent adventures of the other silver thing that you won this year, and along those lines, when you see people you haven't seen in some time, are they more inclined to ask about the Olympics or Troon?
HENRIK STENSON: Well, I can reveal that the Claret Jug has been on a jet ski in recent times. It was wearing a life jacket, so it was all safe and sound. It's returned back to the kitchen where it spends most of its time on the kind of bar/desk in the kitchen. So I get to see it every morning when I have breakfast, which is kind of nice.

What else were we talking about? Oh, yeah, people -- sorry. Jet-lag.

I think it kind of depends on your background a little bit. The people that are very much into golf-specific, I would say they are more excited about the Claret Jug and winning The Open Championship.

People who are more kind of a broader sports fan or probably equally as intrigued by winning The Open and getting a medal at the Olympics and being there. Kind of depends on what angle you're coming from a little bit.

Of course, I've always said that before, as well. I would hold a Major Championship higher than the Olympics for me personally, but that didn't mean that you couldn't have both and I came close to getting both in the same year.

Yeah, I'm happy to have a medal and have the Claret Jug and I guess silver and silver kind of matches up pretty good, too. I'll let Justin have the other one at his house.

Q. Has anyone asked you about winning in Germany?
HENRIK STENSON: There has been a little bit less of that lately. But on that note, it was very important to me to get that win in Germany a couple of weeks prior to The Open. It really gave my confidence a little extra boost, and I think that was a crucial part of me winning The Open Championship, as well.

So sometimes it's just a little thing that happened -- little thing; it wasn't a little thing winning, but something else that was outside the actual week of Troon that pushed me in the right direction.

STEVE TODD: I know you've got to go and show the medal to some kids --

HENRIK STENSON: No, you just want to cut it short because Rory is waiting (laughter).

STEVE TODD: Thank you, and best of luck this week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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