Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | April. 22. 2012 | 21:00

Introducing Icelanders who play on US College Golfteams no. 3: Kristján Þór Einarsson

There are 3 young Icelandic golfers playing on the Golf Team of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux,Louisiana. They are: ; Kristján Þór Einarsson, GK and Pétur Freyr Pétursson, GR and Andri Þór Björnsson, GR. This is the highest number of Icelandic golfers competing for one College Golf Team in the States or for that matter any Golf Team in the US. Golf 1 interviewed Kristján Þór Einarsson who is the Icelandic Stroke Play Champion in 2008 and Icelandic Match Play Champion in 2009. He is also the second youngest ever to have become Icelandic Champion in Stroke Play, only 18 years old (in 2008).

Here is the interview:

What is your name?: Kristján Þór Einarsson.

What Golf Club are you a member of in Icland?: Golf Club Keilir in Hafnarfjörður.

Where and when were you born?  In Reykjavik, January 11th 1988.

Where were you raised? In Kópavogur and Mosfellsbær, Iceland.

What is your family status and does anyone in your family play golf?  There is no one else in my family except for me, that plays golf.

When did you start playing golf?  In the summer of 1998.

Why did you start playing golf?  I went to a golf clinic and was charmed by all of it an there I started playing golf.

What is your occupation / Are you a student and if so what are you studying?  Presently I´m a student. I´m studying psychology at Nicholls State.

How did you adjust to the US and what surprised you the most about the US? I adjusted slowly, but I did. What was hardest to get used to was the heat and the humidity, it was awful to be here the first two weeks because of the heat. And then there´s the food.     I´m still getting used to it.

Describe a typical schoolday of yours at Nicholls State? There are classes from 8-12, then we have lunch and then we practice for 4-5 hours. After practice we eat sometheing and then I hit the books at study hall.

How are the golfcourses in the States compared to Icelandic golfcourses? They are much better and genarlly in better condition and the greens are better. It is much easier to get out of bunkers here then at home in Iceland because the sand is much lighter and cleaner.

What do you prefer parkland og links type course? Parkland courses I thing, rather than linkses. The Parkland courses a usually more beautiful and the trees are so big that they block the wind a little.

What do you prefer match play og stroke play?  I have often been considered more of a match player then a stroke player, well I love to play in the match play format so I prefer match play to stroke play. 

What are your favorite golfcourses in Iceland? Vestmannaeyjar, simply because my family is from there and it´s a course I feel good playing.

What is your favorite golfcourse anywhere in the world?  TPC Louisiana is, I think, one of the most beautiful golfcourses I have played and I hold it in high regard.

What is the most special golfcourse you have played on and why? I guess it´s the Royal Adelaide golfcourse in Australia because there I played in my first World Tournament and because it was on the other side of the globe.

What is your handicap?  +2.9

What is your lowest score and on which golfcourse did you achieve it?   I shot a 61, on Hlíðavöllur in Mosfellsbær, Iceland.

What is your longest drive?  I haven´t got a clue, but I have had a few very long drives here (in Louisiana). I would guess my longest drives were somewhere around 360-370 meters / 394-405 yard or somewhere around there.

What is your greatest achievement in golf to this date?  To become Icelandic Champion in Stroke Play (2008) and Icelandic Champion in Match Play (2009), 3 titles in US College Golf

Have you ever scored a hole in one? Yes.

What snack do you have in the bag?  It varies. In Iceland I always have 2 Powerade´s, 0,5 l Coke, a sandwich or a banana, and a chocolate bar.

Have you participated in any other sports?  Yes, I played soccer, handball and badminton.

What is your favorite food, favorite drink, favorite music, favorite movie and favorite book? My favorite food is chicken in curry, my favorite drink is, Egils Mix, my favorite music is djam music, I have many favorite movies but I don´t have a favorite book since I don´t read books.

Who are your favorite golfer name 1 male and 1 female?   Female.: Natalie Gulbis. Male: Sergio Garcia

What would be your dream foursome? Garcia, Nicklaus, Adam Scott and me.

What´s in the bag, what is your favorite club and why is that club your favorite one?  Adams MB2 idea pro irons (black), Titleist 3 tree, Titleist Driver, Titleist wedges, Ping Anser putter and a Odyssey Two ball putter…. My putter and my lob wedges are my favorite clubs.

Have you been to a golfinstructor?  Yes, Ingi Rúnar Gislason for the past 10 years.

Are you superstitious? Sometimes, sometimes not.

What is your maingoal in golf and life?  I have a dream to become a successful pro golfer but there I have still a long way ahead of me to achieve that goal. For me golf is no. 1, 2 and 3.  My maingoal in life is to have a good family, to graduate with a university degree and even a masters-degree in Psychology.

What do you like the best about golf?   How enormously fast things change, it can be alot of fun but it can also be terribly frustrating and nervewrecking.

How large a percentage do you estimate that the mental side of your game is when you compete?  I just don´t know. I´m usually strong mentally but I cannot say how large the mental side of my game is speaking in percentages when it comes to competitions.

At last: Do you have some good advice that you can give golfers?  See it, Feel it, Trust it!!!