Øyvind Jarnes takes top 10 finish at the Memorial
Øyvind Jarnes has been one of the absolute best players in Norway since he started playing on a professional level back in 2015. This is the first time this 23-year-old is playing multiple tournaments in the US, and he is certainly off to a great start. After a very decent finish at 39th place at the Las Vegas Challenge he travelled to Arizona for the Memorial Championship.
At the famous Fountain Hills course he started with a bang. Øyvind shot 13 under par the first round. That round was rated at 1072, a new personal best. The rest of the event he played well against the best players in the world and ended up taking 10th place. We had a few words with Øyvind to hear about his first two events of 2020 and what’s coming next on his US tour.
You played well in Las Vegas, and even better at the Memorial. How was these two events for you?
– I had a sort of slow start in Las Vegas, I didn’t manage to convert my good drives into birdies and there was no flow in my game. In the fourth round in Las Vegas, everything changed and my putt was dialed in. Maybe I only needed some competition rounds to get it going. In essence, I left Las Vegas whit a lot of confidence. The Memorial is often referred to as the “Hyzer Olympics” and I always prefer to throw hyzer so you can say the courses suit me. During round 1. at Fontaine Hills my driving was pinpoint accurate and I only made 1 difficult putt. For the next three rounds, it was completely different, my driving was a bit off, but I was hitting putts from all over the putting green. All in all my best tournament ever and I am leaving Scottsdale with confidence, says Øyvind.
How is it like to to play against the best players in the world at their home turf?
– I have always believed that the best way to become a better disc golf play is to play against the best. Play against top-level touring professionals is something I enjoy a lot and I manage to elevate my game to a new level this week.
Tell us a bit more about yourself. What are your strengths as a disc golfer?
– My strong side of the game has always been long distance hyzers and putting. But the thing I am most proud of is my systematic approach to the game. I prefer to make a detailed written plan for every hole I play, whit different strategies for different conditions. The more prepared I am the easier it is to commit to the shoot.
How does the rest of your 2020 tournament schedule look?
– After the Memorial I will take one week off before Waco, TX. And the three follow weeks I will be playing Throw Down The Mountain, Jacksonville Open and The Open at Tallahassee all in Florida. After that, I will be playing The Jonesboro Open follow by GBO before going home.
What were the three most important discs at the Memorial, and why?
– The most important discs have been: Opto Stiletto, Opto XXX, and Zero Soft Pure for putting. The Stiletto and XXX are my hyzer weapons of choice, as it always will be for me at open courses, says Øyvind.
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