International GolfPunk Kenne Jonnson asks the burning question on the cold lips in Stockholm, "Are we gonna get a Swedish major winner or what?" .... but better!
Whether Swedish golf is close to getting a male Major winner is an issue golfers talks about in all locker rooms. Will we ever get one? Who will it be? Some say that we in general do not have the same fighting spirit as players in other countries. Why? Is it the background where the players preparing for a professional life have too much safety? Yes we are good at taking care of everyone that wants to be a golfer. But is this good when learning to fight and strive for titles in the badlands of the real world?
Waking up on a Masters morning knowing that not a single Swedish player will play the weekend makes one ponder even more. One must not forget the wives of Woods and Bjorn and I think even Scott has a Swedish girl (Adam if that is wrong the first pint @ the Scandinavian Masters is on me). And who knows. Perhaps one day they can persuade them into seeking Swedish citizenship. We have the world #1 player Annika Sörenstam. We have Sophie Gustafson and Catrin Nilsmark captain of The Solheim Cup and the 1988 US Open winner Lotta Neumann. And there are many more with Linda Wessberg and Cecilia Ekelundh leading the way. In the past we’ve raised many good players but still we talk of the first Major. There will never be a male counterpart to Annika so lets leave the girls and go into the boys’ locker rooms. Jesper Parnevik or Spaceman – still don’t know if I love his swing or hate it - has been close. And Freddy J, Carl P and our fishing lover Haeggman are three very talented players on the track. Perhaps Swedish golf is in as good a shape as it ever can be. But is this enough? Perhaps but I cannot help but be sceptical of how we will make it to the top consistently fighting for a Major? I say we need to let the young players travel on their own without today’s back-up. Let them play tournaments at British links. Fighting other players as individuals instead of in teams. After missing a cut sitting alone crying in a hotel room is perhaps the way to raise a winner. Learning how hard life on tour actually can be. Let them decide if this is the life they really seek. The first Swede winning a Major will differ from the rest. He will definitely have a mind for the game and yes we do have some potential out there today. But even with all this in mind there is still the £10 000 question. - When will we get a major?
Words by Kenne Jonnson
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