It might have taken four weeks of summer sun for her game to thaw out, but finally, Valdis Thora Jonsdottir's form is hot enough to be one of the tournament favourites ahead of the Women’s NSW Open which begins tomorrow at Coffs Harbour Golf Club.
Jonsdotttir, from Akranes, warmed up for the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) Australian swing by practising indoors at home in Iceland over the Christmas break.
Before last week, however, she had not finished higher than 50th in her previous three outings.
Valdis had the perfect warm-up for this week’s Open with a third-place finish in the Australian Ladies Classic-Bonville last weekend. It was a sure sign that the talented 28-year-old is set to be in the mix on Sunday at Coffs Harbour GC.
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The second-year LET member heads into this week’s Open placed sixth on the order of merit and is in the kind of form that could be good enough to become Iceland’s first-ever winner on the LET.
“Obviously I would like to win on the LET. It would be a great honour to get on the Solheim Cup team: that would be really fun!” she said, on Wednesday.
“It’s always fun when you’re playing well and I think I can keep it up. I have put in a lot of work over the last two years and it’s finally paying off and coming through in my game.
“I’m feeling confident with my driver and 3-wood off the tee and my irons as well. I hit a lot of greens last week and I believe I can hit a lot of greens this week. I just need to figure out the green speed and grain.”
Jonsdottir is gradually reeling in Olafia Kristinsdottir in the rankings and although she played down the rivalry between the pair, it is clearly being hyped up back at home.
“Everybody is really excited. We get a little crazy when Icelandic athletes are playing well, especially the national team or us golfers. The support has been really nice and we are grateful to have all that support from such a small country. Olafia and I support each other and we are still friends. It’s always nice to see the Icelandic flag up on the scoreboard.”
Iceland’s Birgir Hafthorsson won on the Challenge Tour last year, but so far, there has not been a victory for the country on the top tier professional tours and Jonsdottir wants to be the first.
“I think it can expand the golf world a little bit more and hopefully inspire some young girls to start golfing. The boys are coming up now as well. We are showing that it’s possible to play on the big tour if you put the work in.”
Her mission begins in the first round on Thursday, when she tees off from the 10th hole at 1pm local time.
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