Tuesday 5 April 2016 13:12, UK
Henrik Stenson believes he has the right style of game to win his first major tournament at the Masters at Augusta National
Despite unprecedented success for Europe in the Ryder Cup, a European player has not won at Augusta since Jose Maria Olazabal's triumph in 1999.
However Stenson, who replaced Adam Scott as the world No 6 following a second place finish at the Shell Houston Open last week, has renewed confidence that he could be the player to end the drought.
"I know I've got a game that fits well for major championship golf," Stenson said. "I've just got to keep on putting myself in the final groups or in the last couple of groups. The more times I do that, the better the chances are for the outcome that I want to have.
"It seems that the guys who are up there often, even if it doesn't happen in the early stages, then it will happen eventually. So you've just got to keep on believing and keep on doing the right things and it will happen.
"But the ball doesn't know that I was tied third at Valhalla (in the 2014 US PGA) so I've got to teach it again this week where it needs to go! You're not going to get a given just because you had a close call in the past, that's for sure."
Although Stenson has had a string of frustrating near-misses, he has recorded an impressive 13 top-four finishes since his last victory at the DP World Tour Championship in November 2014.
The Ryder Cup Star also finished runner-up in three of the four FedEx Cup events on the PGA Tour last season and was third in Abu Dhabi in January in his first tournament since undergoing knee surgery in December.
Stenson believes he's proven he is capable of winning big tournaments, but said it is important he does not allow himself to become too frustrated by near misses.
"You've got to also cut yourself some slack that you've not been able to pull it off," he added. "But I think I've proven to myself and others that I've won plenty enough golf tournaments.
"I've been going through a stretch here where it hasn't happened, but before you know it, you can win two or three in a short period of time, as well. I'm still here and still staying patient."
Stenson and Rory McIlroy are the only members of the world's top seven not to have a won a tournament in 2016, while former Masters champions Adam Scott and world No 1 Jason Day have won twice this season.
