Jesper Parnevik facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jesper Parnevik |
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Parnevik in April 2007
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Jesper Bo Parnevik |
| Nickname | Spaceman |
| Born | 7 March 1965 Botkyrka, Sweden |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Nationality |  Sweden |
| Residence | Jupiter, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mia Parnevik |
| Children | 4, including Peg |
| Career | |
| College | Palm Beach Junior College |
| Turned professional | 1986 |
| Current tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour European Tour |
| Professional wins | 15 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 5 |
| European Tour | 4 |
| Challenge Tour | 1 |
| Champions Tour | 1 |
| Other | 4 |
| Best results in Major Championships |
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| The Masters Tournament | T20: 2001 |
| U.S. Open | T14: 1998 |
| The Open Championship | 2nd/T2: 1994, 1997 |
| PGA Championship | T5: 1996 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Swedish Golf Tour Order of Merit winner |
1988 |
| Swedish Golfer of the Year | 1999 |
Jesper Bo Parnevik (born 7 March 1965) is a Swedish professional golfer. He is known for his unique style and impressive golf skills. Jesper spent 38 weeks ranked among the top 10 golfers in the world in 2000 and 2001.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Golf Career
Jesper Parnevik was born in Botkyrka, Sweden. He grew up in a town called Åkersberga. His father, Bosse Parnevik, is a famous Swedish entertainer.
When Jesper was young, he was part of the first group of students in Sweden to combine school studies with golf training. This happened at a special sports school near Stockholm. At age 15, he visited Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the United States. He liked it so much that he later moved to Palm Beach County, Florida. There, he attended Palm Beach Junior College on a golf scholarship.
Jesper was a key player for the Swedish national golf team. He competed in the Eisenhower Trophy in 1984 and 1986. He also helped Sweden finish second in the European Amateur Team Championship in 1985. In that competition, he even won the individual stroke-play part.
Professional Golf Career
Jesper Parnevik became a professional golfer in 1986. He quickly showed his talent. In 1988, he won the Swedish Golf Tour's Order of Merit. This award goes to the best player on the tour.
Success on the European Tour
Jesper won four tournaments on the European Tour. His first big win was the Scottish Open in 1993. He beat famous golfer Payne Stewart by a large margin. He also won the Scandinavian Masters twice, in 1995 and 1998. He was the first Swedish golfer to win two European Tour events in his home country.
Playing in the United States
Jesper moved to Florida and joined the PGA Tour in the mid-1990s. He won five events on this tour. He also played in the Ryder Cup three times (1997, 1999, and 2002). The Ryder Cup is a major team competition between Europe and the United States. Jesper was part of the winning European team in 1997 and 2002.
He came very close to winning The Open Championship twice, finishing second in 1994 and 1997. His highest world ranking was seventh in May 2000. This was the highest ranking for a Swedish golfer until Henrik Stenson reached the top five in 2007.
Dealing with Injuries
Later in his career, Jesper faced many injuries. He had hip surgery in 2000 and again in 2009. In 2010, he had emergency surgery for a broken bone in his lower back. These injuries made it hard for him to play golf consistently.
Despite his challenges, Jesper made a comeback on the PGA Tour Champions in 2015. This tour is for golfers aged 50 and over. In 2016, he won his first tournament on this tour, the Insperity Invitational.
Unique Style and Nickname
Jesper Parnevik is famous for his unique and colorful style. Golf writer Dan Jenkins once joked that he looked like "the last guy to climb out of the clown car at the circus." His most famous trademark was wearing his baseball cap with the bill turned up. When he played in the Ryder Cup, he even got a special team cap with the logo on the bottom of the bill.
Over the years, he has changed his look. He sometimes wears straw hats or visors. He also likes bright, bold golf clothes, like purple pants. He has even been known to change his outfit during a golf round! His nickname on tour is "Spaceman." He is also known for eating volcanic dust as a health supplement.
Awards and Personal Life
Jesper Parnevik has received several awards for his contributions to golf. In 1998, he became an honorary member of the PGA of Sweden. He was named the Swedish Golfer of the Year in 1999. In 2003, he received the Golden Club, a top award for Swedish golf, along with his Ryder Cup teammates Niclas Fasth and Pierre Fulke. In 2023, he was inducted into the Swedish Golf Hall of Fame.
Beyond golf, Jesper has appeared in a few movies and TV shows. He had a small role in the 2007 comedy Who's Your Caddy.
Jesper is also known for introducing fellow golfer Tiger Woods to his former au pair, Elin Nordegren. Tiger Woods and Elin later got married.
Jesper and his family starred in a reality TV show called Parneviks. The show aired in Sweden from 2015 to 2018. It gave viewers a look into their family life in Florida. Jesper is married to Mia Parnevik. They have four children: three daughters and one son. His oldest daughter, Peg Parnevik, is a pop singer. His son, Phoenix, is named after Jesper's first PGA Tour win at the 1998 Phoenix Open. The Parnevik family lives in Tequesta, Florida.
Team Appearances
Jesper Parnevik has represented Sweden and Europe in many team golf events.
Amateur Teams
- European Boys' Team Championship (Sweden): 1982
- Jacques Léglise Trophy (Continent of Europe): 1982
- European Youths' Team Championship (Sweden): 1984
- Eisenhower Trophy (Sweden): 1984, 1986
- European Amateur Team Championship (Sweden): 1985
- St Andrews Trophy (Continent of Europe): 1986
Professional Teams
- Europcar Cup (Sweden): 1988 (winners)
- Dunhill Cup (Sweden): 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997
- World Cup (Sweden): 1994, 1995
- Ryder Cup (Europe): 1997 (winners), 1999, 2002 (winners)
Images for kids
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