Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir | April. 20. 2012 | 14:00

Introducing Icelanders who play on US College Golfteams no. 2: Andri Þór Björnsson

There are 3 young Icelandic golfers playing on the Golf Team of Nicholls State University in Thibodaux,Louisiana. They are: Andri Þór Björnsson, GR; Kristján Þór Einarsson, GK and Pétur Freyr Pétursson, 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 Andri Þór Björnsson, earlier this year, actually the day before he left for the US, to study and play golf for Nicholls State.

 

This is the interview:

What is your name?: Andri Þór Björnsson.

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

Where and when were you born?  Reykjavík, November 10th 1991.

Where did you grow up?  In the city. I grew up in Grafarvogur, Reykjavík.

What is your family status?  I still live with my parents and have 2 sisters.

When did you start playing golf? I was 6-7 years old and I started by using dad´s pitching wedge.

Why did you start playing golf?  I have no idea – I tried going to a golfclinic as a young child to Nolan (an English golfinstructor at the time at GR, in Iceland) … and ended up going 6 times because it was so much fun.

What is your occupation?  I work as a salesperson at Ásbjörn Ólafsson, as a substitute and then I work as a golfinstructor – I will start my studies at  Nicholls State University this spring.

What are you majoring in? For starters I will have to take alot of introductory courses, but then the plan is to do something I´m interested in and what I think is fun, business marketing, but the bigger plan is to become a better golfer.

What do you prefer parkland courses or linkses? Parkland courses – because they are usually narrower and softer and there is usual nicer weather on them – It is fun playing where the wind doesn´t blow because in Iceland there is a wind blowing all year round.

What do you prefer match play or stroke play? It´s incredible fun to participate in a match play competition – but, oh well I don´t know, there is just something about the strokeplay that you can win 2 strokes on one whole or lose and not only to be competing about winning one particular hole at the time – I personally think  that its more trying to play stroke play – but the match play is more trying on the mental part.

What´s your favorite golfcourse in Iceland? Korpúlfsstaðir (one of the 3 golfcourses at Icelands biggest Golf Club, the Golf Club of Reykjavík (GR) ) It´s a very challenging course, you´re in trouble if your not hitting the fairways.

What is your favorite golfcourse anywhere in the world except for Iceland? My favorite is Augusta, but I haven´t played that course. Of the courses I´ve played on my favorite is TPC Sawgrass.

What is the most special golfcourse you have played golf on and why? TPC Sawgrass, just knowing that all those stars used the lockers I used, ate in the same restaurant that I ate at and were in the same practice area as I went to, made it special for me.  And then the „feel good factor” was high. And no. 4 is one of my favorite golfholes on the course.

What is your handicap? 1.

What is your lowest score and on what golfcourse did you achieve it? -3 under par at the Golf Club of Öndverðarnes, i.e. 67 strokes,  a 69 on Urriðavöllur at Golf Club Oddur and a -2 under par on the golfcourse in Germany where the Harder Junior Masters took place. I have had a few rounds og -1, -2 and -3 under par.

What is your longest drive? I don´t know – but it´s shorter then Axel Bóasson´s drive (Axel had just won „Sleggjan” the Icelandic Longest Drive Competition in 2011).

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement in golf today? Becoming Club Champion at GR, 2011.

Have you gotten a hole in one? Yes at the 12th on Leirdalsvöllur (GKG´s golfcourse in Iceland). I was the first to have a hole in one there when the course opened in 2008.

What snack do you have in the bag? I have sandwiches my mom makes – I usually have a healthy energy drink – Leppin – a protein bar – well I have to be more organized in this regard maybe take a few bananas, also.

Have you taken part in other sports? I was for a long time in a club Fjölnir where I played soccer.

What is your favorite food, your favorite drink, your favorite music, your favorite movie and your favorite book?  My favorite food is lobster, my favorite drink is Leppin, I choose my songs on my Ipod, which I listen to; my favorite movie is Shawshank Redemtion and my favorite book is the one by the Icelandic National Coach in Golf Úlfar Jónsson and another well known Iceland golf instructor Armar Már, „Betra Golf”  (English: Better Golf).

What is your favorite golfer name 1 female and 1 male? Female: Natalie Gulbis along with all Icelandic Women Golfers. Male: Tiger Woods, Alex Noren, Robert Rock.

Are you naming those you would like to play your dreamround of golf with? No, in my dreamround would be, me, Tiger, Teddy Sheringham and Tom Cruise.

What is your favorite club? My sandwedge.

Have you been to a golfinstructor? Yes, there have been quite a few, Derrick Moore, Ólafur Már Sigurðsson, Arnar Már Ólafsson and Brynjar Eldon Geirs to name a few.

Are you superstitious? No.

What is your maingoal in golf and in life? In golf it is to get on the Europeantour and in life to take one step at a time.

What do you like the best about golf? What a quiet and comfortable game this is – one is striking the ball outdoors in the green an one can hear the birds tweet. What could be nicer?

What´s in the bag? Lots of Titleist clubs.

How high a percentage do you think the mental part is of your game when your competeing? That part has do be way up there in order to score well – in my case it´s a high numer – the mental part has to be like a 4. (On a scale 0-4 where 4 is the highest score).

At last: Do you have some good piece of advice you can give golfers?  Be punctual – pay attention to when you´re teetime is, don´t be late.