Looking at PGA and Rio, Henrik Stenson wants to make more noise

Peter Thompson

Looking at PGA and Rio, Henrik Stenson wants to make more noise image

Henrik Stenson's coach said The Open champion has set his sights on a PGA Championship and Olympic double after ending his wait for a first major at Royal Troon this month.

Stenson broke an Open record by finishing 20 under to win an epic duel with Phil Mickelson in Scotland.

The Swede, 40, will attempt to follow up his Open heroics by mounting a challenge this week at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol, just two weeks after lifting the Claret Jug.

He will also be among the main contenders to win Olympic gold next month in Rio, and his coach, Pete Cowen, said Stenson is hungry to strike while the iron and take home both titles.

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Cowen told Omnisport: "It's a bit like we always say about waiting for a bus, you wait for a long time for one to come along and then two will come at once. That could happen, there is no doubt about that.

"He doesn't drink and he keeps himself very fit, so he'll go well into his 40s and give himself chances to win more majors.

"He's got the US PGA now and the Olympics, and he's very keen to win both."

Cowen said that becoming the top-ranked golfer in the world is also very much on Stenson's agenda. 

"He's been number two, but he's never been number one. He wants that, he wants to be number one," he added.

Stenson will play the opening two rounds this week in Springfield, N.J., with this year's other two major champions, Danny Willett (the Masters) and Dustin Johnson (the U.S. Open). They're scheduled to tee off at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Peter Thompson