Iceland’s Valdis Jonsdottir is in her third season as a professional. After graduating from university in the United States, Valdis has played the last two seasons on the LET Access Series. The Icelander’s best finish is a tie for 7th place at the 2015 ASGI Ladies Open at Gams-Werdenberg Golf Club in Switzerland. The 26-year-old from Akranes answers some quick questions…
Do you have a nickname your friends refer to you by? If so what is it?
My friends in college call/called me Valde/Valdi
If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you?
A chest full of food, machete and a Channing Tatum
If you could have an unlimited storage of one thing, what would it be?
Burritos from chipotle!
What is your favourite activity you do when you want to relax?
Read a good book or watch a good movie!
How do you spend your time in the airports?
People watching. Best place to do so is at the airports… Or read.
What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received?
Nobody cares about what you do or how you play except for yourself. Nobody cares about the short putt you missed on 5th or the drive you hit OB on 12th. As long as your success isn’t limiting theirs then nobody cares.
What is the weirdest thing you have ever eaten?
Mixed grill in Morocco was a new experience! Thinking I was about to receive chicken and beef… Came to find out I got a kidney, heart, liver, and two other pieces. I was a tad bit surprised and went to bed hungry that night!
If you had one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Determined / humorous
Do you support a sports team? If yes who, and what sport?
Manchester United!! Red Devils all the way!
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Australia
What advice would you give to aspiring amateurs looking to turn professional?
Put in all the work you think you need to and then a little more. Be patient and use every tournament as an experience.
Do you like cooking? If positive, what do you like / prefer to cook when you are at home with friends?
I love cooking! I like making different chicken dishes and I also like making Mexican food but most of all I like cooking something new and pulling it off!
If you could have one celebrity follower on twitter who would it be?
Channing Tatum… No Ryan Gosling… No Justin Timberlake… Gosh I can’t decide, I want them all!
Tell us something you hate doing. Why?
Yoga. Not my thing
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Hopefully in top 30 on the Ladies European Tour!
What has been you biggest golfing achievement?
I won a college tournament my last year in college, that was quite fun.
What is your favourite golf course to play and why?
I have a few. Mountain View in Utah, such a pretty course with challenging shots all over the course. Argos Gardens in Spain, the course is challenging but most of all the greens can really give you a hard time! Then the course I played in Brazil in the Faldo Series Final tournament was simply amazing!
Do you have any superstitions before playing golf?
No not really, I used to be really bad but realised all that matters is how you feel over every shot and whether you tie your left shoe before your right one doesn’t matter.
Age you started playing golf? Who /how did you get involved in golf?
Played my first tournament at the age of 8 but had been taking a few summer classes before that. My whole family played golf so it all started with my parents dragging me out on the course when they couldn’t find a baby sitter for me! But my goal when young was to become better than my grandpa!
Age you got your first handicap?
Eight years old.
What is your best travel tip?
Travel light, you won’t use 50% of the clothes in your bag if you bring a big bag!
Your lowest ever round of golf? Where and when?
67 (-5) in Las Vegas in 2010, my freshman year of college. That round finally made my coach realise that I can hit par 5’s in two strokes and he stopped holding me back in doing so after that round!
What’s your favourite club in your bag?
My 9 iron and my new putter!
What’s in your golf bag? And apart from clubs and golf balls?
– Titleist 915D3 driver 9,5 degrees
– Titleist 915F 15 degree fairway wood
– Titleist 915H 17,5 degree hybrid
– Titleist 714CB 4-P irons
– Titleist vokey 50, 56 and 60 degrees
– Taylormade spider putter
– I have a strange amount of ball markers. Ohh and gum.. Always have gum.
What is you average driving distance?
230-240m
What tournament are you looking forward to most this season?
I’m excited for each and every one! But I guess the ones where I missed the cut last year are making me excited to go back and face the challenge again and overcome it.
If you could pick a dream fourball partner who would it be and why?
– Sergio Garcia – favourite player
– Channing Tatum – dear John
– Ryan Gosling/Justin Timberlake. – well I mean it’s Ryan Gosling… Or Justin Timberlake. Enough said, can it be a fivesome?
What is your favourite distance to practise?
85m pitch
If you could learn any language fluently, what would it be?
Spanish, I’m working on it. I believe it’ll become the second biggest business language behind English.
What were your first set of golf clubs?
Hippo!
Your team would be composed by …(NAMES OF GOLF COACH, MANAGER, FITNESS TRAINER., etc….)
– Hlynur Geir Hjartarson – swing and short game coach.
– Karl Ómar Karlsson – Used to be my old coach and still helps me with pitching and putting from time to time.
– Anna Lilja Valsdóttir – personal trainer
