European Tour Professional, 2020 Ryder Cup Vice-Captain and PGA of Sweden Member, Robert Karlsson, has been recognised for his achievements and contributions to the game with the 2019 CPG Lifetime Achievement Award, in a career spanning over 25 years and amassing over 600 tour starts.
“Thank you so much for giving me this award and acknowledgement of my career, it is a great honour”, said Karlsson, upon receiving the news of his award at the 2019 CPG Annual Gala Awards Dinner Supported By Rolex at Penina Hotel & Golf Resort.
“It is a great honour to be recognized by the PGA community and to be associated with all the fantastic players and ambassadors of the game that have been recognised before me. This award for sure helps me in my continuous strive to help grow the game – I am definitely committed to do my part.”
With previous recipients of the award including Seve Ballesteros, Alison Nicholas, Bernhard Langer and José María Olazábal, Karlsson joins an array of golfing legends to have been recognised with the accolade.
Regarded as one of the most successful European and Swedish players of his time, Karlsson first burst onto the scene in 1990 through European Tour qualifying school, setting the scene for a long and established career that has accumulated over 600 European Tour starts and most recently, earnt his PGA Tour Champions card for the 2020 Season.
Marcus Lindell and Johan Hampf, President and Chief Executive of the PGA of Sweden respectively, commented: “Robert is a true role model for Professional Golf in Sweden. His dedication and hard work to become one of the best players in the world has inspired many Swedish players across all levels of the game.
“Robert is involved with various projects to help support and grow the game in Sweden. He received the PGA of Sweden Future Fund scholarship during his early career and is an honorary member of our association.”
Karlsson’s achievements have spanned across the globe, where has amassed 12 victories including the BMW International Open and Omega European Masters. Perhaps his most memorable year came in 2008 when he won the Mission Hills World Cup with Henrik Stenson on behalf of Sweden, and the European Tour’s season-long ‘Order of Merit’, the last under such a name before becoming ‘The Race to Dubai’ as we now know it.
Karlsson added: “The game has changed considerably since I first started playing but I have had some incredible experiences, victories and moments that I will cherish forever…giving other young golfers the opportunity to experience what I have one day would also be fantastic.”
In more recent years, Karlsson has also played a huge role for Team Europe within the Ryder Cup, both in a playing capacity and in a supporting role. At the age of 37, his debut in 2006 at the series of matches in Ireland was late compared to most but he contributed significantly to the European victory and went on to represent Team Europe once more at Valhalla in 2008.
He also played the role of Vice Captain in that famous victory in Paris last year, supporting Thomas Björn and his team of European superstars to an emphatic victory at Le Golf National that will be eternally remembered for generations. Such a performance has earned him the honour once more, as he was Captain Padraig Harrington’s first appointment as a Vice-Captain for next year’s matches at Whistling Straits.
[Photo Credit: RK-3674_byAntonBengtsson.jpg – Credit: Anton Bengtsson]
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