Notebook: Competitor From Iceland Makes HistorySunriver, Ore. — Olof Maria Jonsdottir made history this week and it wasn’t for any of the golf shots she produced at the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. When Jonsdottir, who recently graduated from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, hit her first tee shot on Tuesday morning, she officially became the first golfer from Iceland to ever compete in a USGA championship.
Granted, Iceland is not considered a world golf power, especially since the season is so short (three months). Of course, it’s one of the few places where a golfer could feasibly play 24 hours straight without ever having to worry about adequate light. Then again, the winters are harsh, with virtually no daylight and temperatures that dip below zero.
“Golf is the second most popular sport in Iceland behind soccer,” said Jonsdottir, 25, who hails from the community of Hafnarfjorder (20,000 residents). “But we only have 11 18-hole courses.
“That’s why I came here, so I can play all year round.”
And very few females play golf at a competitive level. Jonsdottir, a three-time winner of the Icelandic Championship (1997-99) and a member of Iceland’s team that competed in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships in Germany in 2000, estimates about 50 women compete in most of the national tournaments. But the men’s national team recently placed fourth in the European Team Championships behind golf stalwarts England, Scotland and Ireland.
“We don’t have many women players,” said Jonsdottir. “It’s hard because the golf union is small and people usually stop playing when they’re young because there’s not much support and there’s not many tournaments to go to.”
Jonsdottir found her way to the U.S. through a former Iceland player who was coaching at Lamar University in Texas (Karen Saevarsdottir). Jonsdottir later transferred to UALR. She has applied to get a working visa to stay in the U.S. In fact, once she receives it, Jonsdottir plans to head to Europe to compete in several amateur tournaments. Then she hopes to return to Austin, Texas, and work at The First Tee Program in the city. Her boyfriend, an American, is currently living in Austin.
“I want to teach kids,” she said. “That’s what I have been doing the past few summers at home, teaching little kids to play. That’s what I want to do.”
Reese’s Pieces
Jessica Reese couldn’t revel in her University of Texas teammates’ final-round comeback at the NCAA Division I Women’s Championships thanks to a wisdom tooth operation. The Longhorns rallied to finish in a tie for second. “I was down and out,” said the 21-year-old senior-to-be.
Reese did her comeback in round two of stroke-play qualifying at the WAPL, firing a 5-under 66 to tie the championship 18-hole record and earn medalist honors at even-par 142. It was her career-best round by one shot. The record of 66 was previously shared by current LPGA Tour player Jill McGill and Heather Hughes.
“I wasn’t really thinking about my round at all,” said Reese, a native of Santa Rosa, Calif., who is playing in her ninth USGA championship, but first WAPL. “I was just playing golf.”
Reese recently became eligible for the WAPL when she gave up her membership at Santa Rosa Country Club. “I’m not going to pay $50 a month [in dues] when I’m not there,” she said.
A lot of college players don’t like match play because most of the tournaments are stroke play. Don’t put Reese on that list. She plays weekly matches with teammate and fellow northern Californian Lisa Ferrero, the 2000 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion. “We play for dinner and let’s say she buys a lot of dinners,” said Reese. “I love it [match play].”
No Fear
Michelle Wie might be afraid of heights and sharks, but she has not phobias when it comes to golf. She told ESPN earlier this year that she would consider trying to qualify for the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship because it’s one way she could get to the Masters. The APL champion is invited to the Masters each spring.
She even has goals to someday play on the PGA Tour. That’s no misprint. Wie says she’d go compete against the best male golfers in the word instead of playing the LPGA Tour.
“You get to play all the best courses in the world with all the best players,” said the 12-year-old, who is competing in her third WAPL. She posted an even-par 71 on Wednesday to easily qualify for match play. “Every day would be exciting to play golf.”
Wie certainly isn’t lacking any distance to go against the men. On Wednesday, she drove the ball 300 yards on the 360-yard par-4 ninth hole, hitting a lob wedge to 12 feet where she converted the putt for a birdie. Wie averaged 277 off the tee at an LPGA tournament in North Augusta, S.C., earlier this spring. She received a sponsor’s exemption into the field after she Monday qualified for the LPGA stop in Hawaii back in March.
She also advanced to the second round of the Manoa Cup, a prestigious event in Hawaii for men. Del-Mark Fugita knocked her out on the 20th hole in round two.
And Wie doesn’t seem too concerned about being considered a prodigy at 12. “It’s not that bad,” she said. “Singer Billy Gillmore is 13 years old … and he still has braces on.”
Eagles Have Landed
Three eagles were recorded in the second round, but the most impressive came from 12-year-old Mina Harigae, who holed out from 189 yards with her 7-wood on the par-4 14th hole. Stephanie Ruiz and Elizabeth Allen each posted eagles on the par-5 17th.
Bittersweet Day
Gabby Wedding, of Wilmington, Ohio, posted her lowest round ever at a USGA championship, only to find out that her grandmother had passed away. Wedding, 18, a sophomore-to-be at Kent State University, withdrew from the championship. Wedding had finished with the second-best 36-hole total (143), one shot behind Reese.
Hey, It’s Still An Ace
All the contestants are asked on their information sheet to mention any hole-in-ones or double eagles. Noelle Hamilton, of Moscow, Idaho, listed on her sheet that she collected an ace in miniature golf. “I won a free game,” she wrote.
The notebook was written by David Shefter, associate editor of Golf Journal. E-mail him at dshefter@usga.org with questions or comments.
