Introducing: Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir

Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir is simply one of Icelands best female golfers. She is now 19 (born March 25th 1994) and has had an absolutely stunning amateur career in the junior league here in Iceland. Last year she for example became Icelandic Junior Champion in Stroke Play her 6th connsecutive year. Actually she also captured the 2012 Junior Championship title in Match Play in her agegroup last year aswell, as in many years before.

Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir, GK. Photo: Golf 1

She has just returned from Spain where she participated in the Spanish International Ladies Championship, held May 10th-12th 2013  at the beautiful Las Colinas golf course in Alicante, Spain. You can see Golf1´s photos from Las Colinas by CLICKING HERE:

Guðrún Brá is no stranger in participating for Iceland abroad. For example she participated in the Irish Open Girls under 18 tournament in April 2012, where she was 1 of 6 competitiors from Golf Club Keilir, in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland. For a while she held 4 place in this exceedingly strong tournament, but finished the race in 9th place, which was  a great top-10 performance.

From above left: Anna Sólveig Snorradóttir, Hildur Rún Guðjónsdóttir and Saga Ísafold Arnarsdóttir. Below from left: Högna Kristbjörg Knútsdóttir, Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir and Sara Margrét Hinriksdóttir. Photo: The Golf Club Keilir

She has also a.o. participated in the Duke of York tournament (2011 and 2012) and the Women´s World Amateur Team Championship (in september 2012)  to name a few. There are also only a few who know that Guðrún Brá along with her club mate in Keilir Anna Sólveig Snorradóttir and GR´s Sunna Víðisdóttir are the European Champions in  Shoot-Out 2012.

This summer Guðrún Brá will participate among Iceland´s best in the Eimskips series as she has done in the past years.  She has a.o. claimed 1. place in the 1. tournament of the series on Garðavöllur, Golf Club´s Leynir in Akranes´s golf course, in 2011 and 2nd place among the ladies in the 1st tournament of the Eimskip series in 2012.

Guðrún Brá and her cousin Axel Bóasson won the 1st tournament of the Eimskipseries 2011 Photo: gsimyndir.net

Guðrún Brá currently holds two course records from the blue tees (ladies competition tee´s) in Iceland. She hit her lowest career score 66 in Garðavöllur in Akranes 2012 and holds the course record on the beautiful but rather difficult White River course (in Icelandic: Kiðjabergsvöllur). This is nothing less than fabulous!!!

Guðrún Brá is trains diligently and is hardworking.  She practices not only in the rather short summer here in Iceland but also indoors/and outdoors when the weather permits in the winter in Iceland.  A.o. she participated in a indoor team putting contest at the Club she´s a member of here in Iceland last winter; her team´s name being „The Guys and Guðrún Brá” and of course her team won.  Among those in The Guys and Guðrún Brá were here brother Helgi Snær.

The winners in Hraunkot´s 2013 putting competion (Hraunkot being the indoor practice facility of Golf Club Keili)r: The Guys og Guðrún Brá. From left.: Kristinn, Atli Már, Henning Darri, Þorkell Már, Helgi Snær and Guðrún Brá. Photo: keilir.is

This is just a short version of some of the major achievements of Guðrún Brá.

Here is finally an interview Golf 1 had with the Icelandic  Junior Champion in both stroke and match play 2012 (agegroup 17-18)  last summer:

Full Name: Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir.

Which Golf Club are you affiliated to in Iceland?: Golf Club Keilir in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland (Editors note: Guðrún Brá´s grandfather was among the founders of The Golf Club Keilir in Hafnarfjörður and Guðrún Brá´s family has by and large produced some of Icelands best golfers. Her father Björgvin Sigurbergsson is among Iceland´s most beloved golf instructors along with having won numerous Iceland Championship titles.

When were you born? I was born on March 25th 1994.

Where were you raised? In Hafnarfjörður

Does anyone in your family play golf? Everyone in my family plays golf, mom, dad and my brother (Editors note: Helgi Snær Björgvinsson a.o. garnered 3rd place in his age group 14 years and younger at the Icelandic Junior Championship in stroke play 2012)

When did you start playing golf? I have been dabbling with a golf club since I can remember, but I started to compete full time 2006.

What made you start playing golf?  All familymembers play golf, I really didn´t have a choice but to start playing golf!

Where do you work/What school do you attend/? I work in Hraunkot (Editors note: The interview was taken last summer 2012. so Guðrún Brá worked at Hraunkot in the summer of 2012 – (Hraunkot being the indoor practice facility of Golf Club Keilir).  As for the school I´m attending Flensburg (a highschool) in Hafnarfjörður my majors natural sciences and sports.

How does one become as outstanding a golfplayer as you are? Just by practicing as much as you can.

Winners at the Icelandic Junior Championship in stroke play (category: girls 17-18yrs). From left: Anna Sólveig Snorradóttir, GK 2nd place and Guðrún Brá Icelandic Champion in Stroke play (category: girls 17-18 yrs). Photo: golf.is

Describe the feeling when it was clear that you had become Icelandic Champion in Stroke play( category girls 17-18 yrs)? The feeling was very good and even better when I realized I had broken the course record.

You hit 66 strokes earlier in the summer of 2012 in Akranes. Is this your lowest score and if so what is you next best score?  Yes the 66 in Akranes is my best round so far. My next best score are 68 strokes (-3) at Hvaleyrin, (Golf Club Keilis golf course).

What were you thinking when you got one birdie  after the other on your 66 round?   I tried to think about it as little as possible during this round.

Do you think participating in exercise and trainin trips and tournaments abroad are paying off? … And how important do you think that such trips are for young players?  I think it´s very important to have excercise and training trips abroad, especially when one cannot practice here (in Iceland). It is also important to compete abroad even though the results aren´t the greatest; it´s valuable  because of the expericenc and to see how one is doing compared to kids from other countries.

How much do you practice? It varies. Much less during the winter but in the summer I´m on the golf course almost the whole day.

Which do you prefer parkland courses or linkses? Parkland courses.

Which do you prefer match play or stroke play? Stroke play.

What is/are your favorite golf course/s in Iceland?  Hvaleyrin (Golf Club Keilir´s golf course), the Westman Islands golf course, Urriðavöllur (Golf Club Odds (GO´s for short) golf course and Garðavöllur (of Golf Club Leynir (GL for short) in Akraness.

What is your favorite golf course abroad? Kinda hard to choose, but the coolest thing I’ve ever played is Lake Nona.

Lake Nona is Guðrún Brá´s favorite golf course abroad.

What is your handicap? -0.3

What is the lowest score in golf and where did you achieve it? 66 in Garðavöllur at Golf Club Leynir (GL) in Akranes.

What is your longest drive? I usually hit  210 meters (229 yards) with my driver. But I don´t know what my longest drive is.

What is your main achievement to date in golf?  To have become Icelandic Junior Champion in Stroke Play 6 years in a row since 2006!

Guðrún Brá Björgvinsdóttir, GK and Ragnar Már Garðarsson, GKG Icelandic Junior Champions (agegroup 17-18) in 2012. Photo: golf.is

Have you ever had a hole in one? No, but hopefully that will come later.

What snacks do you have in the bag? Yogurt, bananas or apples, water and either corny (a protein bar) or bread.

Have you participated in other sports? Yes, soccer.

What is your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite music, your favorite movie and favorite book? Guðrún Brá´s favorite food: lobster, favorite drink: Icelandic water, favorite music: I cannot select any special kind,  favorite movie: there are too many; favorite book: I don´t read that much.

What is your favorite golfer name 1 female and 1 male? Male: Adam Scott. Female:  Yani Tseng.

What would be your dream foursome?  Me and….  Adam Scott, Luke Donald and Tiger Woods.

What’s in the bag with you and what is your favorite club?  Ping zing putter, 54°, 60°, pw, 9-5 irons,  23° rescue club, 5 tree, 3 tree and driver. My favorite club is the putter.

Have you been to a golf instructor? Yes.

Are you superstitious? Yeah, sometimes.

What are your  main goals in golf and in life? In golf: to play abroad; in life:  just to have fun.

What do you like best about golf?  The golfmates, being outdoors and in general golf is just a fun sport that requires a lot of yourself.

How high a percentage do you think the mental part is of your game when you´re competeing?  Definately about 40%.

Að last: Do you have some good piece of advice you can give other golfers? Just enjoy playing golf, and if you want to get far you must practice diligently!