Henrik Stenson out as Ryder Cup captain ahead of move to LIV Golf

• Henrik Stenson is officially out as a Ryder Cup captain.
• Stenson was set to lead Team Europe into the 2023 Ryder Cup, but instead he announced he will play in LIV's next event.

Henrik Stenson has been stripped of his captaincy for the Ryder Cup.

With rumors of an imminent departure for LIV Golf, the 46-year-old Swedish pro was removed as captain of the European side in a statement from Ryder Cup Europe.

"In light of decisions made by Henrik in relation to his personal circumstances, it has become clear that he will not be able to fulfil certain contractual obligations to Ryder Cup Europe that he had committed to prior to his announcement as Captain on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, and it is therefore not possible for him to continue in the role of Captain," the statement read.

News that Stenson was heading to LIV Golf, and in turn would be stripped of his captaincy, spread almost immediately after the end of the Open Championship on Sunday. He confirmed it Wednesday in a statement he released on social media.

"Despite some of the unfortunate and ongoing tension between LIV Golf, the DP World Tour & PGA Tours, ultimately, the opportunity to play in LIV events moving forward is something that I want to experience," the statement read. "Clearly a part of my decisiom to play in LIV golf events has been commercially driven but the format, schedule and caliber of player were also significant factors. I am committed to growing the game and using the game as a force for good."

With Stenson's departure, Team Europe is left scrambling to find a replacement to lead a team that is coming off one of the worst defeats in the history of the Ryder Cup.

Stenson added in his statement that he had made "specific arrangements with LIV golf... to ensure I could fulfil the obligations of the Captaincy." Ryder Cup Europe, however, did not see a way around it.

Further, LIV Golf has already plumbed the bench of potential European Ryder Cup captains for years to come, with Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Martin Kaymer, and Graeme McDowell all already signed to the LIV roster and thus currently ineligible for captaincy.

A six-time winner on the PGA Tour, including British Open champion in 2016, Stenson hasn't had a Top 10 finish since the US Open in 2019 and is currently ranked No. 171 in the world.

In closing his statement, Stenson expressed hope that the fractured professional golf landscape will soon find a resolution. "I am confident that LIV golf, just like the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour, will be a force for good and am excited to be a part of it just like I am excited, and hopeful, to continue to be a part of the DP World Tour & PGA Tour," he wrote.