Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson to join LIV rebel circuit - unless European tour can talk him down

Ryder Cup officials will meet with Henrik Stenson on Tuesday to try to persuade the Swede to stay on as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain and not go through with his intention of joining the Saudi rebel circuit this week. 

Telegraph Sport has learnt that the LIV Golf Series is due to announce Stenson as its latest capture in the next few days and, unless the 46-year-old performs another dramatic u-turn, it seems almost inevitable that the DP World Tour - formerly the European Tour - will have to appoint an emergency replacement for next year’s match in Rome. 

Stenson is set to appear in next week’s third LIV event in New Jersey and it would be a huge coup for Greg Norman’s breakaway league. It would also lead to the 2016 Open champion being accused of disrespect to a tournament in which he has appeared as a player five times and a vice-captain once and to which he pledged his allegiance on his appointment just three months ago.

Rumours were rife about Stenson’s stunning reverse at last week’s Open Championship, with Sky Sports reporting on Sunday night that he is “expected” to be unveiled as LIV’s most controversial convert to date and that he will be immediately “stripped of the captaincy”. 

Stenson missed the cut at St Andrews, where he had the chance to deny the story but instead only uttered a highly suspicious “no comment”. On Twitter, Eddie Pepperell, the multiple-Tour winner, posted: “I’d heard Henrik was going weeks ago... truly insane money.”

Stenson’s refusal to kill the rumours stone dead, as well as the ever-louder whispers, convinced the DP World Tour to seek out the 46-year-old for assurances, with a meeting set for Tuesday. As well as Tour chief executive Keith Pelley, it will also involve his right-hand man. Guy