Henrik Stenson said on Thursday that money definitely played a part in his switch to the lucrative Saudi-backed LIV Golf series and that he had hoped to retain his Ryder Cup captaincy, which he was stripped of last week.
Stenson helped Europe to victory in three of his five Ryder Cup appearances as a player, but Ryder Cup Europe said the 2016 British Open champion could no longer fulfill contractual obligations as captain after he joined LIV Golf.
The breakaway league has attracted many of golf's top players including six-time major winner Phil Mickelson and former world No. 1 players Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka. Stenson said the money on offer convinced him to join them.