Ryder Cups are on Stenson’s mind at Italian Open

BY ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer

GUIDONIA, Italy (AP) — The Ryder Cup occupied a big portion of Henrik Stenson’s thoughts after grabbing a share of the lead in the first round of the Italian Open. And it wasn’t just about his late push to qualify for Europe’s team at this month’s event at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. Stenson had also plenty to say about the redesigned Marco Simone course outside Rome that will host the 2023 edition of golf’s biggest team event in Italy for the first time. He says “it’s certainly a lot more hilly than I expected” and “some of the greens are very tricky.”