Joel Sjoholm interview

We talk to one of the European Tour's rising stars and fast-growing cult figures, Sweden's Joel Sjoholm.

Dave Tindall talks to one of the European Tour's rising stars and fast-growing cult figures

With his standout clothing, affable personality and determination to make golf fun, Sweden's Joel Sjoholm has quickly become a cult figure on the European Tour. Born in a poor area of Chile, Joel was adopted by his Swedish parents at just three months old and knowing what his life could have been has given the 27-year-old a great appreciation of where he is now. That refreshing perspective and happy-go-lucky nature has helped him make a real success of his first two years out on Tour and, with his card comfortably secured for 2013, the goal now is to make the top 60 who contest the money-spinning Race to Dubai finale at the end of November. We talk to him about fashion, football, the Ryder Cup and much more.... Sky Sports: Regular Sky Sports golf viewers will be very familiar with you now but the casual fan may only know you as "the guy in the plus fours". Tell us how that look came about. Joel Sjoholm: It all started at the beginning of this year when I didn't have a sponsor so I thought it could be fun to do something a little bit different and do a little bit of an eye-opener for the spectators. I figured out that someone has not played in plus fours on the European Tour for I don't know how long so I thought it could be a fun thing to bring that look back out again and have my own little style a couple of years before someone else is going to try it! Sky Sports: The late Payne Stewart famously sported plus fours on the US Tour. Were you a fan of his? JS: When I was younger I always wore extremely bright colours and for the last 10 years people have more and more put some colours on their shoes, pants, stuff like that. And then I started looking into it a little bit more and Payne Stewart has always been a fantastic ambassador for golf I thought. So I thought I could maybe steal a little bit of his style at least. Sky Sports: Has Ian Poulter ever commented on your clothes? JS: I don't think so, I don't know! It would be fun as I think he is one of the guys that I think put quite a lot of taste into the clothing for golfers. It would be an honour if he had said anything about it! Sky Sports: On Twitter, you go by the nickname of SwedishToro. Can you explain to our readers how that came about. JS: I'll try to make a long story short! I don't really look Swedish and when I grew up I was practising and playing for a golf club in Gothenburg and the coach always took us down to Spain. In Spanish, 'Toro' means 'The Bull' and my temperament was quite close to one of those bulls so he gave me that name when I was 13 and it has stuck! Sky Sports: When we've seen your bag out on Tour, we've noticed a Chelsea FC headcover popping out of your bag. How did you come to support the Blues? JS: It is really thanks to my Uncle, who has been living in London since I can remember. In Sweden, either you are watching football or you're watching ice hockey and I've never really been a fan of football here in Sweden. I've always thought it was more fun to watch it on Sky Sports and be able to see the better guys. I realised that all my mates were cheering for Man United and Liverpool and I had a very close connection to Chelsea as I saw a game when I was 13 when I was in London. So it's because of that really. Sky Sports: Do you ever get to watch them? JS: Yes, me and Thorbjorn Olesen, we go at least once a year to watch Chelsea- Man United as he's a Man United fan. We sit and talk trash to each other during the whole game and it's a quite fun tradition to have. Sky Sports: Given your background do you ever keep an eye out for Chile's results as well as Sweden's? JS: Not really. I can't say that. That would be lying. Of course, sometimes when I see the flag, I'll maybe have an extra look at it but I can't say I would try to keep track of what's going in Chile. Sky Sports: Looking at The Race To Dubai, you're currently in 61st (Joel laughs) and, as we know, it's the top 60 who qualify for the big finale in Dubai in late November so you're agonisingly one place short as it stands. What events have you got lined up between now and then? JS: Only the South African Open it seems at the moment, which is the week before Dubai. My status from last year doesn't get me into any other tournaments except for South Africa. So that event is going to be huge for me. I guess that's the one I have to put my focus on. Sky Sports: You withdrew from last week's Portugal Masters after the first round. Was it an injury? JS: It's quite funny, on Saturday night at the Dunhill Links in Scotland I came home. I felt a little bit bad and my eye had blown up a little bit and the blood cells inside the eye had popped. I thought that was a little bit strange and on Sunday, in the final round, I felt a bit weak out on the course. Then Monday I started feeling slightly worse and on Tuesday I started throwing up due to some kind of stomach bug or virus. Wednesday, I saw the doctor and he gave me all the tablets you could possibly put in a body without getting caught on steroids and then I played on Thursday. Basically, I should never have played but because I was 55th on the Race To Dubai I thought if I could at least make the cut I'd have a better chance of securing my top 60 spot. Sky Sports: Are you fully recovered now? JS: Yes, this week I should have been in Perth. Normally the withdraw date on the European Tour is noon on the Saturday before but because it was down in Australia the withdraw date was on Thursday, the first day in Portugal. As I was sick and it's a long-haul flight to Australia I thought I better withdraw, so I can at least focus on Portugal. But, yes, I am better. Sky Sports: The week before Portugal you had your best result of the season, a fourth in the Dunhill Links in Scotland. Had you ever played St Andrews prior to that? JS: Never! I actually played only 13 holes in the practice round. Thorbjorn Olesen and I thought we would play all three courses at the Dunhill (St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie) as an experience as we would barely see each other when the tournament started as we were playing on different courses. I was waiting for him but his bag never showed up on time so we could only play 13 holes. So my first 18 holes at St Andrews was the Friday of the tournament itself. Sky Sports: Did you immediately take to St Andrews? Some golfers on first look have wondered what all the fuss is about while others have instantly fallen in love with it. JS: We had such good weather and such little wind, it's one of those deals that when the weather is good in Scotland, everything turns out to be magnificent I think. I just loved the course. That week I was missing a lot of shots on the left side but that course is built for you to miss it left. I especially enjoyed the way the greens were set up (seven greens are shared by two holes each, with hole numbers adding up to 18). I think that is absolutely truly amazing. Sky Sports: Do you think, personality-wise, playing in a pro-am suited you? JS: Yes. I loved it. I was even more relaxed than I am normally. To be able to walk around and try to help your partner and to get to know some new guys out there is a lot of fun. Sky Sports: It's also noticeable in your results that you seem to love playing in Wales. You've played four times (two European Tour, two Challenge Tour) and finished second, third and eighth twice.

JS: (Laughing) I don't know why that is. I just think 'oh, we're back in Wales, that means another top ten!' But I can't say why. Sky Sports: So it's not the beer or the food then?! JS: Haha, I don't think so. I 'm not a beer drinking kind of guy anyway! Sky Sports: Obviously the immediate goal is to try and get into the top 60 in the Race To Dubai but what about the next few seasons. What are your goals and what do you think you can achieve? JS: I'm really hoping that I could contend for a place in the 2016 Ryder Cup team and also make the 2016 Olympics. They are my absolute main goals for the next four years. But it's so hard to say. I'm basically still learning more about myself, I'm starting to mature more and more on the course as well. I have honestly not sat down and talked with my advisor or my life coach about the next couple of years. We're just trying to get through this season and then we will bring up some new goals. Sky Sports: Do you think having a big personality will help you in your quest to become a top player? JS: Yes. I have to believe that. It seems that a lot of guys who are actually at the top of the world at the moment, they do have a personality. I suppose we all have different personalities when it comes to how you are out on the course. Some guys they really want to be seen as very structured and out there as a job while other guys want to show you can have a lot of fun while you're playing golf. I have to believe that the more happy you are and the more open-minded you are about meeting new people will help you in the future to become a better player. Sky Sports: Finally Joel, give us three words that best describe you: JS: Happy. Social. Genuine. Sky Sports: Thanks Joel and good luck in the Race To Dubai