Freddy Jacobson

How is life on the US tour treating you?

It’s good. A big challenge. After so many years in Europe I expected things to be a lot different. Life on the European tour kinda gets easier and easier, you get to know the people, the places, know which tournaments to play, you get to know the courses. Here you get new courses every week and you’re starting off from the bottom once more. It’s a slight disadvantage this year, but I’m working hard on getting to know get every bit of a course. It’s relatively easy from tee to green, but you have to get to know the details, what’s going on around the green, what the grass is like.”

Why did you make the move from Europe this season?

I set out to do this a few years ago. The ideal thing was to win in Europe before coming over here and for a while that just didn’t happen. I put myself in the position a few times, but nothing came right. But the fact I did it last year and put myself in contention several times made me a lot more confident. Otherwise I would have felt that I had left the European tour without really achieving anything. To finish fourth on the order of merit and to be one of the better players in the opens was really satisfying. I’d raised my game to get into The Top 50 last year.

Did you have any golf idols when you were young?

Not really. I didn’t have posters of golfers on my wall. I don’t think I had any posters on my wall, maybe a picture of the Davis Cup winning tennis team with Mats Wilander and Stefan Edberg. I preferred table tennis, skiing and ice hockey. There was very little golf on television when I was young. I came to the sport relatively late.

Who do you admire now?

I have a lot of admiration for the achievements of Bernhard Langer. He never gives any shots away; he’s one of the strongest players on the mental side. Vijay is special too. He strikes the ball phenomenally and he is very calm and relaxed, but at the same time plays very aggressively.

How did you make the big leap from journeyman to winner?

Five or six years ago I would run into good form towards the end of each year. I got my game going and got my head where I wanted it, but it wasn’t there the rest of the year. I started getting myself motivated all year instead of just when I really needed it. Now I feel really focused for every tournament. I feel I can win every tournament I enter.

How do you measure your success?

Last year I wanted to win two tournaments. I wanted to move into the Top 50 in the world and I got to 19. It can be tough to try and compare yourself on the same level as someone like Tiger, but there are a lot of good Swedish golfers I can compare myself with and try to better what they have done.

Do you always perform well when you’re up against it?

I’m one of those players who enjoys the pressure. I love the big occasion. I went over and qualified for the US Open last year, for instance, and when it came to the main event I ended up finishing fifth. My job is to work towards believing that I have a chance to win. I know my game is not nearly perfect, no doubt about that. But I can do all the things I do to the best of my ability. I can afford to believe that I have a chance to beat the field every week; that increases my chance of making it happen.

» Freddy Jacobson Pt.3