Introduction
Mathias David Grönberg (born 12 March 1970) is a Swedish professional golfer who has played on the European Tour, PGA Tour, and their second-tier tours.
Career
Grönberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden. He won the Swedish Boys Championship in 1988 and the British Youths Open Amateur Championship in 1990. That year he helped Sweden to win the Eisenhower Trophy, and picked up the individual title at that event.
Grönberg turned professional late in 1990. After starting out on the second tier Challenge Tour, he was a member of the European Tour from 1994 to 2003, winning four European Tour events in that time. His best finish on the European Tour Order of Merit was tenth in 1998. However, he was keen to join the PGA Tour in America, repeatedly entering its Qualifying Tournament. After six failed attempts he topped the event in 2003. He had difficulty settling on the PGA Tour, and after his 2005 second season he had to return to the Qualifying Tournament to retain his card, which he did. His best finish in a tour event so far is a tie for 3rd place at the 2007 Valero Texas Open, where he ultimately trailed winner Justin Leonard by three shots.
Grönberg won his first title on the Nationwide Tour in 2009 at the Melwood Prince George's County Open where he lapped the field and won by six strokes over Esteban Toledo and Justin Bolli. He finished 24th on the money list to earn his 2010 PGA Tour card.
Personal life
Grönberg's wife, Tara, is American. They have a son Van, born in 2002, a daughter Ava, born in 2005 and a son Axl, born in 2009. They reside in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Mathias Grönberg Trophy 2008
In August 2008 the first Mathias Grönberg Trophy event took place in Sweden. Grönberg's goal is to make golf more popular with young children. It’s a yearly event that is being played at Kårsta Golf Club.
Amateur wins
- 1988 Swedish Boys Championship
- 1990 British Youths Open Amateur Championship
- 1991 Swedish Open
Professional wins (6)
European Tour wins (4)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 Sep 1995 | Canon European Masters | −18 (70-65-66-69=270) | 2 strokes | Barry Lane, Costantino Rocca |
| 2 | 23 Aug 1998 | Smurfit European Open | −13 (68-71-67-69=275) | 10 strokes | Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Phillip Price |
| 3 | 23 Jan 2000 | Mercedes-Benz South African Open | −14 (70-70-67-67=274) | 1 stroke | Darren Fichardt, Ricardo González, Nick Price |
| 4 | 4 May 2003 | Italian Open | −17 (71-67-68-65=271) | 2 strokes | Ricardo González, José Manuel Lara, Colin Montgomerie |
Co-sanctioned by the Sunshine Tour
European Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2001 | Victor Chandler British Masters | David Howell, Robert Karlsson, Thomas Levet |
Levet won with birdie on third extra hole Howell and Karlsson eliminated by par on first hole |
Sunshine Tour wins (1)
| Legend |
| South African Opens (1) |
| Other Sunshine Tour (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 Jan 2000 | Mercedes-Benz South African Open | −14 (70-70-67-67=274) | 1 stroke | Darren Fichardt, Ricardo González, Nick Price |
Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
Challenge Tour wins (1)
- 1991 SM Match Play
Nationwide Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 Jun 2009 | Melwood Prince George's County Open | −19 (68-69-67-65=269) | 6 strokes | Justin Bolli, Esteban Toledo |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | CUT | ||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | |||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | T74 | CUT | |||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T18 | T47 | |||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT |
Note: Grönberg never played in the Masters Tournament.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Sweden): 1990 (winning team and individual leader)
Professional
- Alfred Dunhill Cup (representing Sweden): 1998, 2000
- World Cup (representing Sweden): 1998, 2000
- Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2002