It?s a sign of the expanding nature of the game that the PGA Tour welcomes its first player from a new country at the Wyndham Championship this week.?Olafur Loftsson is a golfer at the University of North Carolina ? Charlotte, but that?s not it?s own country. Loftsson is from Iceland and is the trailblazer on the PGA Tour this week.
?It means a lot to me. Not only for me, just as well for my country. It?s a good feeling representing your country. It?s a good feeling being the first Icelandic player ever to be here,? he said Wednesday.
Loftsson got into the field by winning the Cardinal Amateur tournament last week and has an opportunity this week to experience the fervor of the last event before the FedExCup playoffs.
On the small island nation which recently rewrote its constitution, golf is more popular than an outsider might imagine, says Loftsson.
?We have about 60 to 70 golf courses in Iceland, lot of link style courses,? he said. ?We play about four to five months a year because of weather conditions and it?s the second most popular sport in Iceland behind soccer and it?s growing very fast. A lot of the population now plays golf.?
Growing up there, his parents taught him how to play, but Loftsson knew he would have to leave home to be able to play and practice year-round. That?s where UNC-Charlotte enters the story.
?Basically the best opportunity for me was to go to college here in the States. So I found myself a school here in Division III to start with and worked my way up and am now at UNC-Charlotte in Division I and having a great time over there,? he said.
Loftsson said the goal is to be able to play on the European or PGA Tour full-time someday, but these two days are an odd, but reassuring introduction.
?It?s a little bit strange being around these guys but I?m not intimidated by being here. It?s just a lot of fun.?
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