IN one glorious example of his delicious humility, Henrik Stenson has been putting right his interrogators this week who have been insisting he announce himself as the new global force. "Hey, I'm not even the most famous golfer in Sweden, " he says.

"In fact, I'm not even the most famous Henrik in Sweden."

But, with respect to Ms Sorenstam and Mr Larsson all that could be about to change. Annika and Henrik . . .

"King Henrik", that is . . . may be up there with the Nordic goddesses and gods, but here on Earth their nation has the coming man in golf, a player arriving not so much with the wind at his back as turbos in his titanium-tipped spikes.

Stenson's startling start to the season - victory over Tiger and Ernie in Dubai and, in his very next tournament, a win over the rest of the boys who matter in the WGC World Match Play . . . has seen him leap into the world's top five and, perhaps more pertinently, to head of that European list of expectancy. You know, that one entitled "who will break our major void of eight years, of 29 tournaments, of this damned 21st Century".

These past few days Nick Faldo has led the chorus singing the Scandinavian's praises as the countdown to the Masters, the year's first major in a fortnight's time, has began in earnest. "He's a great talent, " commented the European Ryder Cup captain and celebrated master of Georgia. "He's got gorilla strength, is a fast learner, is winning regularly and is solid with the putter. Yeah, I think he could be the man." Stenson is not so sure, admitting on the eve of this WGC CA Championship that he is obviously flattered by all the interest, but slightly surprised by its expectant tone. "Don't get me wrong I think I can have a good tournament, but it's only my second time at Augusta, " he pointed out.

"There's been a few suggestions that, you know, 'your game suits perfect, you're going to win the Masters'.

But I just feel that from making that statement to actually winning it, is quite a long way. And I've not been the one making the statements."

Indeed, that would not be the 30-year-old's style. He is more into asides that in-your-face declarations of intent, a character trait that America is only now waking up to.

Europe has long known that there is much more to this personality than the nerveless winner the States . . .

somewhat inevitably it must be said . . . instantly billed as the "Iceman". If there is any ice to Stenson then it is decidedly dry ice.

When asked in a southern drawl yesterday how his life has changed since becoming the last man standing in the Tucson shootout four weeks ago, Stenson's expression remained deadpan. "All the media interest, definitely, " he came back. "There used to be only six at my press conferences. Now, it can be anywhere up to eight." The wisecracks continued in that vein, although, in truth, they simply helped to cover up what is emerging as one of golf 's better stories. Where Stenson has been and where he has now got to is no laughing matter. "Hell and back, " one golf magazine called it, but even that seems a rather positive travelogue.

The slump of Stenson is still whispered about on the range, not so much to ensure that the popular professional is not offended, but more so to guard against the fates inflicting on them such an insidious disease. His coach, Pete Cowen, best summed up the horrors of this big-hitting, big-missing, confusion of talents . . . "He had trouble hitting the world." It was at the K Club at the 2001 European Open when it all but stopped spinning when, after just nine holes of the first round, he had quite enough of seeing little white things endlessly hurtling towards the O.B. He dropped sticks and walked in. "I told my partners they'd be better off without me, " he remembers. "You know, the first couple of provisional balls don't bother you too much. But after awhile, when your caddie is rattling in the pocket to see if he's got any more left when you're standing over the drive, you know you've got some sort of problem." The exact nature of it, however, took some unravelling and the desperation to do so is probably best evidenced by the occasion when he actually started hitting balls with his eyes shut. But Cowen, and a sports psychiatrist who had worked with the American Navy SEALS, had the power to rebuild him and the process progressed, albeit painfully slowly. Only in 2005 did the curve lurch upwards. "That's when I really established my game, " in said in a quite corner here at Doral Country Club. "That year, I didn't apply the icing with a win or two . . . that came in 2006 . . . but that's when I put myself into the position to establish myself, move up the world rankings and then into the Ryder Cup team. Being a part of that makes you grow as player." Except Stenson was not just a part of Ian Woosnam's heroes, he was the winning part of it, as the singles victor who holed the putt that actually redelivered the trophy.

If Stenson is to be the one to end the European 'curse' by winning a Masters, it will help that he has someone rather influential in his corner. Famously, Fanny Sunesson helped fit two green jackets on Faldo and it is surely no coincidence that she has been at her countryman's side in his stunning accession to the big time. She says: "Henrik is one of those rare, fortunate players who can be as good as he wants to be - he's got everything, " she says.

Which is not the worst commendation for that once sad figure "who had trouble hitting the world". It is fair, to say he has no problem in locating it now. On the contrary, Stenson is hitting it squarely between the eyes.