Henrik Stenson showed once again how much the UAE meant to him when he said he would not have started his season so soon after his knee surgery if not for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic and Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship.

The Swede, who has deep-rooted connections to Dubai, having made this his home for nearly a decade before relocating to Orlando, Florida, underwent surgery on his right knee on December 9 last year.

Stenson teed off in Abu Dhabi on January 21, even though he had not walked 18 holes before his opening round at the National course. However, he started with a seven-under par 65 and finished tied-third, two shots behind Rickie Fowler. But he pulled out of last week’s Qatar Masters to give his knee some more rest.

When asked if he would have started playing so soon after the surgery if not for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Stenson said: “Probably not. If it had not been a tournament that means that much to me, I possibly would have pushed the return a little bit, yeah.”

Stenson, who was a winner here in 2007, is hoping the brief rest will help him contend once again.

“The knee is still attached, so that’s good,” added the 39-year-old. “It feels all right. I don’t expect to be 100 per cent this week, either, but it should be good enough once again. It’s going to be that way for the next couple of months I guess.

“The more stress you put on it, the more it’s going to respond. And it’s just finding that balance. Just keep on icing it and keep on doing the exercises and eventually you’ll be out of trouble.”