Henrik Stenson and his bionic 3-wood are one of the most dynamic duos in professional golf.
The Callaway Diablo Octane Tour came out in 2009, and surprisingly or not, it still resides in Stenson’s bag with the Grafalloy Blue X-Stiff shaft. Although he has tinkered with various editions of Callaway’s fairway wood designs over the last decade, an “old trusty,” as he calls it, has always won out.
In fact, since 2010, Stenson has won nine times around the world, including the 2013 FedEx Cup and the 2016 Open Championship.
“I have my old trusty 3 wood, the Diablo Octane,” Stenson told Golf Monthly. “This is the 2009 model that’s been with me for a long time obviously. It’s served me well over the years and its my go-to club to hit fairways and since it’s a strong club as well I can reach some par-5s sometimes when other players might not be able to do it.
The club has long been Stenson’s safety blanket, and despite its market value currently sitting at $16.20, according to the PGA Value Guide, its worth its weight — and then some — in gold to Stenson.
So, just how valuable is the club to Stenson? Speaking before this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Stenson didn’t hesitate when asked to pick between his fairway wood and his wife.
Don’t worry Henrik, we won’t tell you wife…. pic.twitter.com/5rzCWHBVqD
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) January 14, 2019
“If you had to choose only one, what would you choose: Your wife or your 3-wood?” a reporter asked.
“That’s a very easy question,” Stenson answered, stonefaced. “It would be the 3-wood.”
The crack received some laughs in the media room in Abu Dhabi. Stenson, voted the funniest guy on the European Tour, quickly covered his tracks by checking his watch.
“The time is… yeah, she’s sleeping,” he said. “She’s in the U.S. She’s sleeping. I’m safe for now, at least.”
Stenson and his “trusty” club could only muster an even-par 72 in the first round of Abu Dhabi. A pair of double bogeys offset his four birdies. He will enter the second round 10 strokes behind Shane Lowry, who shot a course-record-setting 62 on Wednesday.
