Martin Dempster: I can never dislike Henrik Stenson but he's let people down

It’s still not sitting well and, quite frankly, never will. I’m referring, of course, to Europe having been left looking for a new Ryder Cup captain by Henrik Stenson.

I’ll be honest here by admitting that the Swede is probably my favourite golfer in the game outside of the many Scots, past and present, I’ve come across over the years.

He’s one of the funniest individuals you’ll ever meet and we had some great banter in the interview room when he beat Phil Mickelson in their thrilling title duel to become Open champion at Royal Troon in 2016.

Based on all my dealings with him over years, Stenson will always be someone I really like as an individual, yet there can be no denying that he’s let people down.

Due to him being linked with LIV Golf, a clause was inserted into the contract when he became the first Swede to be appointed as Ryder Cup captain in March.

“I am fully committed to the captaincy and to Ryder Cup Europe and the job at hand,” he said on the day he took up the job for the 2023 match in Italy.

“So we're going to keep busy with that and I'm going to do everything in my power to deliver a winning team in Rome.”

Not any more. Not after he was stripped of the captaincy just before being officially announced as one of the latest LIV Golf recruits ahead of the breakaway circuit’s third event at Trump Bedminster in New Jersey this week.

Like the others, Stenson has been lured by money, reportedly £40 million in his case, and his capture will certainly be viewed as something of a coup by LIV Golf chief Greg Norman.

Yes, it’s a blow that Ryder Cup Europe could have done without but Stenson’s successor - be it Paul Lawrie, Luke Donald, Robert Karlsson, Thomas Bjorn or whoever - will be handed an exciting opportunity.