Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | November. 18. 2012 | 13:30

Introducing Icelanders who play on US College Golf teams no. 7: Berglind Björnsdóttir

Berglind Björnsdóttir is one of about twenty Icelanders who study and play golf on US College golfteams.

In Iceland Berglind plays golf for Iceland´s largest Golf Club – The Golf Club of Reykjavík (abbrev. GR).  She also studies and plays golf with the ladies golfteam of UNCG  (short for the  University of North Carolina, Greensboro),

It was remarkable how much her game had improved when she returned to Iceland this past summer – she had lowered her handicap drastically in a short amount of time. She won on the 2. tournament of the Eimskip Series here in Iceland, in the Westmanna Islands with a combined score of 11 over par, 221 strokes (78 71 72) played excellent golf in extremely hard and windy weather conditions.

The Westmanna Islands golfcourse is a favorite among many Icelanders and Berglind seems to feel very comfortable on the course since she became the Icelandic Junior Champion in Stroke Play in the Westmanna Islands in 2005. As a junior Berglind won many titles a.o. she became Icelandic Junior Champion in 2004 – had the best combined score as a Junior 2006 and was Icelandic Champion in Match Play on the Leirdalur golfcourse in the Golf Club of Kópavogur and Garðabær (abbrev. GKG), in Iceland in 2007.

This past summer Golf 1 interviewed Berglind after her victory in the Westmanna Islands and what was apparent and memorable is how much she enjoys playing golf at UNCG, she loves her coach, her team, the practice she´s getting, the campus, her studies and considered herself to be extremely lucky to be studying in the States. Everything seemed to have exceeded her expectations.  We here in Iceland, on the other hand, miss her. Here goes the interview:

What is your name?: Berglind Björnsdóttir.

Member of which Golf Club in Iceland are you?: The Golf Club of Reykjavík, GR.

Where and when were you born?  In the Landspítali in Reykjavík, September 29th 1992.

Where did you grow up?  Up untill I was 6 years old I lived in Seltjarnarnes, Iceland and then I moved in Grafarvogur and have lived here ever since.

What is your family status and does anyone in your family play golf?  I live with my parents and I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. My parents play golf but my siblings don´t.

When did you start playing golf? My dad introduced me to golf when I was 4 years old.

Why did you start playing golf?   I took it up by myself when I was 8 after I participated in a golf clinic for children at the Golf Club of Reykjavík (GR). Success followed shortly after. I was soon in the group of juniors who excelled and 10 years old I began competing in my first tournaments. I find competing under pressure among the most fun I do on the course.

Now you´re studying at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Could you describe an ordinary school day of yours? We work out twice a week in the Gym. At hrs. 6:15 we meet our personal trainer and practice for about 1- 1 1/2 hours. We run alot and do alot of strength and balance exercises. Then I go to the to the cantine to get myself something to eat and then school starts at 8 o´clock and I´m not done until lunch although it varies a bit when class is out, sometimes we´re done at 11 o´clok sometimes a bit later at 13 o´clock. No matter when I´m done after lunch I start practicing. We, the girls on the team don´t all have the same schedule, and it differs what each of us does and needs to work on. Sometimes we practice together and have minor scrambles og competitions. On Fridays and/or Saturdays we play rounds of golf. We´re most of the time done at hrs. 18-19 and then we just have the evening to ourselves.

What did surprise you the most about the US? What came as the biggest surprise was how much of a dream come true this was. There are so many things that can go wrong. For example my coach, I adore here. Her name is Emily Marron  and she was at Penn State. I´m also lucky with my roommates, lucky with my team, I get to take part in all competitions, it´s just perfect.

What´s the worst about the US? How much of tempting food there is …. which I can´t have any of.

What do you like the best about the US? Alot of things. Just talking from a golfing point of view this is an opportunity to have excellent practicing facilities and be at the same time able to practice golf longer than in Iceland. We play on green grass until November here in the States and then again in March. There is such a difference being able to practice on grass. One can practice alot and doesn´t need to take a 6 month break. To be able to play this much longer has had a drastic effect on my play and then there is the experience being able to play on new and new golfcourses.

What is the difference in golfcourses in the US and Iceland? The greens are softer and more spongy in the US. Here (in Iceland) the grass is firmer and the ball bounces more and rolls. On the greens in the US the ball stops immediately.

What do you prefer parkland courses or linkses?  Parkland courses. These are two very different types of golfcourses, but I´m more attracted to parkland courses. They are so beautiful with high trees and ponds.

What do you prefer match play or stroke play?   These are two very different types of games. I have always been more fond of match play.  There is a different mindset. One can rip and grip without much consequences. Match play is tougher – much more of a competition and I like to compete.

What´s your favorite golfcourse in Iceland? One of the golfcourses of The Golf Club of Reykjavík, Korpúlfsstaðir and the golfcourse in the Westmanna Islands.

What is your favorite golfcourse anywhere in the world except for Iceland?  TPC Sawgrass. I have played the Old Course at St. Andrews, there it´s the history and the roots of golf that attract. I have good memories from there since I got að birdie on hole no. 9. Pinehurst no. 6 is also an unbelieveably beautiful course – every hole with its own, distinct characteristics and not a single boring „fill up” hole.

What is the most special golfcourse you have played and why? The Geysir golfcourse in Iceland because it´s so beautiful. It´s also a very hard course to play. There´s no chance of finding the golfball if it goes in the rough – it´s gone forever. There you´ll have to play position golf. The course is usually in perfect condition and there are never alot of people there. The only bad thing about it is how far away from the capitol it is (about 1- 1 1/2 hrs. drive from Reykjavík).

What is your handicap? 1,2

What is your lowest score and on what golfcourse did you achieve it?  A 72 on Kiawah Island, Cougar Point and 71 strokes on Westmanna Islands golfcourse in the Eimskip series.

Have you ever had a hole in one?  No, but I´ve been pretty close a few times.

What snack do you have in the bag? In my bag are homemade sandwiches with cabage, cheese, pepperoni, turkey and cucumber. Sometimes I have an Icelandic speciality called flatkökur (lit. flat cakes) with Icelandic hangikjöt (beef of lamb). Sometimes I take a banana and usually something to drink; water or Gatorade.

Have you taken part in other sports?  I was in ballet for 2 years and also in gymnastics and soccer. I played for the longest time badminton and then I was learning to play the piano. I had to choose, but since I already was in the Icelandic national junior team in golf, I chose golf.

What is your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite music, your favorite movie and your favorite book?  My favorite food is beef  bernaise; my favorite drink is Icelandic Water; my favorite type of music is rock; I have a few favorite movies a.o. Forest Gump and The Greatest Game Ever Played and my favorite books are: Golf is not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella and The Hungergames by Suzanne Collins.

What is your favorite golfer name 1 female and 1 male? Female: Annika Sörenstam is always my favorite although she´s stopped competing. Male: Phil Mickelson is also a favorite because he´s a little wild but always finds a way and he´s also a great character. I look up to him.

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in golf today?  I consider it an achievement to be playing golf collegially. After we the new ones came on the team we have gone up 60 spots on the points list. We were 124th but we´re now at plce 64. And then there´s my first victory in the Eimskip Series here in Iceland, that was a bridge I had to cross.

We interviewed you here at Golf 1 earlies after your 1st victory on the Eimskip Series on the 2nd tournament this year, 2012, in the Westamanna Islands but tell us again what was it that was going your way and got you the victory? Simply my mindset, keeping everything simple and don´t go beyond myself, to stay in the present and do what I love most, to compete.

What is your dream foursome? Myself and….. Jack Nicklaus, Luke Donald and Tiger.

What is in your bag and what is your favorite club?  I have aNike Method putter, Titleist Vokey wedges, Titleist AP2 irons, a PingI15 rescue club and a 5-tree, 3-tree and aTaylorMade Rocket Ballz,Driver: Titleist D2. I care equally much for all my clubs, there´s no favorite.

 Have you been to a golfinstructor? Derrick Moore, David Barnwell, Brynjar Eldon, Árni Páll Hansson and many more.

Are you superstitious? I used to be, but I´m not any longer, not really.

What is your maingoal in golf and in life? My dream is to turn pro, but first I am going to see how good I can get playing in the best of conditions.

What do you like the best about golf? To be able to execute exactly what you imagine yourself. To see it happen exactly like you imagined it. And to see that exercise pays off. The feeling to hit the perfect golfstroke, exactly like you imagined it.

How high a percentage do you think the mental part is of your game when you´re competeing?  I think that focusing while praciticing is the most important thing. Some say that the quantity of practice is the most important i.e. how much you practice, but one can practice forever without getting anything out of it. One has to concentrate. When you practice you have more self-confidence going into the game. I guess the mental part when I compete is around 60%.

At last: Do you have some good piece of advice you can give golfers? Put the emphasis on the short game, that´s the most important part of the game.