Living Golf
SHOW #51
Sweden
This month Living Golf hosts a special show from Sweden, a country that has a unique outlook on the game and whose players are taking Europe and the world by storm.
Just over 30 years ago, Sweden didn’t have a professional competitor on a major tour but now they have 5 male players within the world’s top 50 and one of the world’s greatest ever female competitors, Annika Sorenstam. The country produces top golfers even though the majority of Sweden’s golf courses are unplayable for six months of the year. On this edition Don Riddell will visit two of the country’s biggest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, to investigate why the country is experiencing such success. The program will factor in all the key elements from the business of managing golf courses that only operate for 6 months of the year, to nurturing the young talent through their youth academies in an effort to continue the successful trend for Sweden.
During our stay, we will talk to some of the stars of the Swedish game including Ryder Cup stars Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson about one day hosting the prestigious event. Riddell will also take to the go-karting track and the tennis court with Sweden’s other top players Niclas Fasth and Johan Edfors to get an insight into what makes them tick away from the golf course.
In the men’s game, Sweden has never produced a major championship winner and Europe has been without a winner since Paul Lawrie won at Carnoustie in 1999. Eight years later, the Open rota returns there and Stenson et al are looking to not only end a European drought for major success but break Sweden’s duck as well.
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