Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | July. 19. 2012 | 22:30

Introducing Icelanders who play on US College Golfteams no. 6: Valdís Þóra Jónsdóttir

Valdís Þóra is one of about 15 Icelanders that studies in the US and plays golf collegically.  Valdis Þóra studies and plays golf with the Texas State University golfteam.  She is a multiple Icelandic Champion in golf and Athlete of the Year in her hometown Akranes 4 years in a row, 2007-2010.

On July 11th – 14th 2012 there were Club Championships in Valdís´s Golf Club in Akranes, i.e. Leynir GC.  Valdís was the defending Champion and defending the title she did. She´s the Golf Club Leyni´s (GL´s) Club Champion 2011 and 2012 and in many of the former years too.

Golf 1 interviewed Valdís Þóra and here goes the interview:

What is your name: Valdís Þóra Jónsdóttir.

Which Golf Club in Iceland do you belong to:  Golf Club Leynir (GL) in Akranes.

Where and when were you born?  I was born in Akranes, December 4th 1989.

Where did you grow up?  In Akranes.

What is your family status and does anyone in your family play golf? I still live with my parents and I have 1 older sister and 2 older brothers. Everyone, my grandparents, my parents and siblings and even my mother´s brothers and one brother of my father all play golf.

When did you start playing golf?  I participated in my first tournament 8 yrs. old. There is a photo of me from that tournament, I was the youngest and the oldest participant was 80 years old.

Why did you start playing golf?  Because of my family. I really had no choice, except for start playing golf. Then I also participated in a junior tournament in Akureyri and that sort of sparkled my enthusiasm, because I lost there in a playoff to Þórunn Guðmundsdóttir, in the Golf Club of Reykjavík (GR) and then I started practicing alot and won the next tournament.

What is your occupation or if you´re studying which school do you attend? I am a College Student – I´m currently studying at Texas State, in the US and in the summers I´m working on the Golf Club Leynir´s Office in Akranes.

Describe a typical day for you at Texas State:  I wake up, I go to the Gym at around 8 o´clock. About 9 o´clok I go to the practice tee and  hrs. 11-15:30 I´m at school and afterwards I go to the Gym again or the practice area. This is the plan for Mondays and Wednesdays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays there´s school from  9:30 – 13:30. Then there´s a practice at hrs. 14:00 where we practice each on their own problems or we play golf. There´s no school on Fridays and then there´s only the Gym or we play golf. It depends on our performance whether we get the weekends off.

What do you prefer parkland style golfcourses or linkses?   Parkland style courses, because one has to think more where to place the ball and whether to shoot low or high a.s.o

What do you prefer match play or stroke play?  Match play – because there I can play my own golf, which is aggressive.  I like taking chances and cut for example.

What is your favorite Golf Course in Iceland apart from Garðavöll in Akranes?  The Vestmanna Islands Golf Course and GR´s (Golf Club Reykjavík´s) Golf Course, Grafarholt.

What is your favorite Golf Course anywhere else in the world i.e. apart from Iceland?  The course I played in Brazil on the Nick Faldo Series – I don´t remember its name.

What is the most special Golf Course you have played and why?  That was the course I played in Cyprus, Europe – Golf Course Staff told us that there was an anakonda in the rough and I remember I was focusing so hard on being on the fairway.

What is your handicap?  0,2.

What is your lowest score and on what golfcourse did you achieve it?  That was a 67  on a Golf Course in Las Vegas.

What is your longest drive? 290 meters (317 yards) on the 16th in Akranes, but that was not in a tournament.

How high in percentages do you estimate that the mental part of your game is when you compete? Around 70%

What is your greatest achievement to date in golf?   Being the 2009 Icelandic Champion and getting to participate in one tournament of LET (Ladies European Tournament) in 2009 in Italy. What also ranks high is having the lowest score of the girls on the Faldo Series 2008.

What snack is in your bag?  I usually have a bottle of water and a yellow Poweraid and sandwiches that my mum makes.

Have you participated in any other sports?   I played soccer,  karate and practiced swimming with the Sports Club in Akranes, ÍA.

What is your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite music, movie and book?  My favorite food is My mother´s Icelandic Meatsoup;  my favorite drink is Pepsi Max; I have a broad taste when it comes to music for example I like U2, I don´t like Heavy Metal or Rock or Classical music – except for that I listen to most; my favorite movie is Shawshank Redemtion; and my schoolbooks are the only ones I´m hitting off the course.

Who are your favorite golfers name 1 male and 1 female ?  Male: Sergio Garcia and  Luke Donald.  Female: I have no favorite female golfer.

What´s in the bag and what´s your favorite club?  The following is in my bag:  TaylorMade R-11 driver TaylorMade irons 4-PW; TaylorMade R-9 trees, a TaylorMade rescue club,  56° og 60° wedges and my Scotty Cameron My Girl putter. My favorite club is my  9-iron, I don´t now why, I always seem to hit well with it. i

Have you been to a Golf Instructor?  Yes, here in Iceland Karl Omar and Staffan.

Are you superstitious?  Not particuarly. I don´t know if it´s a superstition but I always wear my neclace with three crosses.

What is you maingoal in golf and life?  In golf it is to become a pro. I prefer to stay in the States. In life I want to get as far as I can on my own, stay healthy and continue having a good relationship with my family.

Hvað finnst þér best við golfið?  Það besta við golfið er að fá smá break frá öngþveitinu í lífinu.

At last do you have some advice for other golfers? Yes, to put great emphasise on practicing your short game.