Axel and Ólafía Þórunn elected Golfers of the Year 2017 by the Icelandic Golf Union

In December last year (2017) the Icelandic Golf Union chose, as it does annually, the Golfers of Year 2017. The Golfers of the Year 2017 in Iceland are Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir (GR) and Axel Bóasson (GK).

Ólafía Þórunn had great success in her first season on the LPGA Tour, which is the world’s strongest women´s professional golf tour. She ended up in T-73 on the Race to the CME Globe and thus has priority to play in all LPGA tournaments in the 2018 season.

Ólafía Þórunn also took part in 3 major championships of the 5 in women´s golf. She is the first Icelander to play in a major. In addition she was selected to take part in the Queens tournament in Japan. She is the first Icelander to get selected to play in a team with such first class golfers.

In total, Ólafía Þórunn played 26 tournaments on the LPGA. Her best achievement during the 2017 season was 4th place in the Indy Women in Tech Championship in July 2017. Ólafía Þórunn was the 10th best rookie on the LPGA in 2017. Ólafía Þórunn´s success on the Rolex rankings is the best of any golfer in the golf history of Iceland. By the end of 2017 she was ranked in the 179 place and went up 420, therby strengthening her position significantly for participation in the Tokyo Olympics in Japan in 2020.

Axel Bóasson had his best season ever in 2017. Axel, who´s a member of the Golf Club Keilir in Hafnarfjörður, Ibecame Icelandic Champion in stroke play the second time around, in 2017, in memorable fashion at his home course the Hvaleyrar Golf Course, in Hafnarfjörður. Axel also won two tournaments on the Professional Nordic Golf League, which is a 3rd tier European Golf Tour – but Axel was the first Icelandic golfer to win on this Tour.

In addition, Axel was on top Nordic Golf League Ranking, and it was also the first time an Icelandic golfer achieved this accolade. With his achievements Axel secured his card on the 2nd tier European Challenge Tour.

Axel has also climbed up in the offical world golf ranking list – went up 1400 places to no. 449, the highest ranked male golfer in Iceland.

This was the 20th time where two individuals were selected as golfers of the year by the Icelandic Golf Union. This is the sixth time that Ólafía Þórunn gets this recognition, but the first time Axel is on top in this election.

In 1973, the first election of the Golfer of the Year took place by the Icelandic Golf Union. Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson is the golfer who´s been elected golfer of the year for men most often or a total of 11 times. Ólafía Þórunn is the one who has most often received this recognition of any female golfer in Iceland or six times.

Here you can see who´s been awarded the titel Golfer of the Year in Iceland from 1973 (within parentheses an abbreviation of the Golf Club the golfer is affiliated with in Iceland).
1973 Björgvin Thorsteinsson GA
1974 Sigurður Thorarensen GK
1975 Ragnar Ólafsson GR
1976 Þorbjörn Kjærbo GS
1977 Björgvin Thorsteinsson GA
1978 Gylfi Kristinsson GS
1980 Hannes Eyvindsson GR
1981 Ragnar Ólafsson GR
1982 Sigurdur Pétursson GR
1983 Gylfi Kristinsson GS
1984 Sigurður Pétursson GR
1985 Sigurdur Pétursson GR
1986 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1987 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1988 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1989 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1990 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1991 Karen Sævarsdóttir GS
1992 Úlfar Jónsson GK
1993 Þorsteinn Hallgrímsson GV
1994 Sigurpáll Geir Sveinsson GA
1995 Björgvin Sigurbergsson GK
1996 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GL
1997 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GL
1998 Björgvin Sigurbergsson GK and Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir GR
1999 Örn Ævar Hjartarson GS and Ólöf María Jónsdóttir GK
2000 Björgvin Sigurbergsson GK and Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir GR
2001 Örn Ævar Hjartarson GS and Herborg Arnardóttir GR
2002 Sigurpáll Geir Sveinsson GA and Ólöf María Jónsdóttir GK
2003 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir GR
2004 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Ólöf María Jónsdóttir GK
2005 Heiðar David Bragason GKj. and Ólöf María Jónsdóttir GK
2006 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Nína Björk Geirsdóttir GKj.
2007 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Nína Björk Geirsdóttir GKj.
2008 Hlynur Geir Hjartarson GOS and Ólöf María Jónsdóttir GK
2009 Ólafur Björn Loftsson NK and Valdís Þóra Jónsdóttir GL
2010 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Tinna Jóhannsdóttir GK
2011 Ólafur Björn Loftsson NK and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR
2012 Haraldur Franklin Magnús GR and Óafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR
2013 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Sunna Víðisdóttir GR
2014 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR
2015 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR
2016 Birgir Leifur Hafþórsson GKG and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR
2017 Axel Bóasson GK and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR

The photo of Axel Bóasson GK and Ólafía Þórunn Kristinsdóttir GR was taken 7 years ago, in 2011, when the two became Icelandic Champions Stroke Play – Photo taken at the Holms Golf Course in Leira, in Keflavík.