Jesper Kennegard is one of five seniors competing for the ASU men’s golf team this year.
However, he is one of only three of those players to have competed at ASU for four years, the other two being James Byrne and Scott Pinckney.
Kennegard also has plenty of accomplishments. He was a member of the Third-Team All-American in 2009 and 2010, and has 12 top-10 finishes in his career.
Kennegard spoke with The State Press about his life inside and outside the world of golf.
The State Press: How long have you been playing golf and why do you enjoy it so much?
Jesper Kennegard: Well I started when I was 5. My dad took me out on the course. At the beginning we would play and it was fun. Then I started realizing it was a really hard sport to compete in. It was just fun looking and searching for perfection and it is really hard to get there.
SP: You’re originally from Sweden. What are some of the things you liked best about your home country and the United States?
JK: My mom’s food, and my girlfriend’s food as well in Sweden. In the United States, the weather. The weather conditions are perfect. It’s great to be a golfer over here compared to Sweden. I like that. Here you can play year round whereas Sweden you can play like five months a year.
SP: If you weren’t playing golf what would you be doing?
JK: I would probably play another sport like soccer or floorball (a sport close to hockey that is popular in Northern Europe).
SP: When did you realize you had a special talent in regards to golf and knew you wanted to do it more than just a hobby?
JK: In Sweden we have something where you compete against guys in your own age group. So every year there’s a competition where you compete and try and be the best. When I was 14, I finished 10th and I finished third when I was 15. Then I won when I was 16. So that’s the year I knew I had something in me and that I was pretty good.
SP: So how do you get along with your teammates here at ASU, and what do you enjoy the most about playing with them?
JK: We have a good team and it’s competitive. So you have to practice harder to compete against these guys.
SP: Well you have had a lot of accomplishments playing at ASU, what stands out as your biggest accomplishment in your mind?
JK: My win in the Southern Highlands Masters in Las Vegas last fall. It’s ranked one of the top two tournaments you can win in college golf. I played against a lot of good teams and it was really tough. Everyone’s scores were quite high.
SP: When you’re out on the course what runs through your head while you’re playing?
JK: I mean it could be day to day I guess. I am not trying to think about golf that much during in-between shots. I’d rather just talk to friends or — I don’t know. I am trying not to get too obsessed with golf when I am playing, or when I am about to hit the shot or a putt or something. In between that I just talk to friends, not sure of what I exactly talk about, but it could be everything from the earth to the sun.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
