Gabriel Hjertstedt

Hjertstedt's family emigrated from Sweden to Australia when he was 11 years old. New to the country and speaking little English, Hjertstedt started using a nearby golf course as his playground. He was named Rookie of the Year on the Australian tour in 1990 and after that returned to Europe to play, finishing second three times in 1993 and '94, including a hard loss at the '94 French Open, where he lost a four stroke lead with six to play.
A misaligned jaw, undiagnosed for a year, pushed Hjertstedt off the tour in 1995 as symptoms of panic attacks and lockjaw interfered with his play. He came to America in 1996 and made it through all three stages of Q-school. He had already sent his application in and was prepared to go through Q-school again in 1997 when he won the B.C. Open.
Credits moving to Ponte Vedra Beach at the end of 1998 with helping improve his game as he can now practice with his neighbors, David Duval, Fred Funk and Vijay Singh.
1993 PGA European Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 12; in money - 6; top-10 finishes - 1; stroke average 72.17 (ranked T59th); money £26,124 (ranked 141st); best finish, 2nd, Open V33 de Grand Lyon.
1994 PGA European Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 25; in money - 15; top-10 finishes - 5; Scoring Average - 72.05; money £142,805; best finish, 2nd, Peugeot Open de France and T2nd at Open de Golf.
1995 PGA European Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 26; in money - 4; top-10 finishes - 0; Scoring Average - 75.60; money £4,360; best finish, T55th, in DHL Jersey Open. Has bouts of lockjaw and hyperventilation which forced him to limit his schedule. He had oral surgery to repair dislocated temporomandibular joint.
1996 PGA European Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 8; in money - 3; top-10 finishes - 0; Scoring Average - 73.41; money £3,845; best finish, T55th, Hohe Brucke Open.
1997 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 23; in money - 11; top-10 finishes - 1; stroke average 72.12 (ranked T172nd); money $279,624 (ranked 89th); Winner B.C. Open. After his victory he dropped a suitcase on his right foot, breaking his small toe.
1998 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 26; in money - 10; top-10 finishes - 2; stroke average 72.56 (ranked T179th); money $167,072 (ranked 157th); best finish, T6th Mercedes Championships.
1999 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 31; in money - 18; top-10 finishes - 3; stroke average 71.27 (ranked 94th); money $933,033 (ranked 41st); winner, Touchstone Energy Tucson Open.
2000 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered - 29; in money - 14; top ten finishes - 0; stroke average 71.74 (ranked 140th); money $296,189 (ranked 138th); best finish T14th, Canon Greater Hartford Open.
2001 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered: 30 / Rounds Played: 76 / Cuts made: 8 / Top-Ten Finishes: 1
Earnings: $296,273 Rank (147th); Best finish: T-4th at the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic
2001 Stats: Scoring - 72.04 / (165th); Driving Distance - 281.4 / (74th); Driving Accuracy - 67.8% / (112th); GIR - 63.2% / (172); Putting - 1.786 / (129th); Birdie Average - 3.42 per rd / (136th) / Total Birdies - 260; Sand Saves - 54.1% / (75th); Scrambling - 56.3% / (165th); All-Around Rank - 915 / (133rd).
2002 PGA Tour Summary: Tournaments entered: 17 / Cuts made: 5 / Top-Ten Finishes: 0 / Best finish: T25 at the Texas Open at LaCantera / Earnings: $69,186 Rank (210th).
2003 PGA Tour Summary: Played in nine events, only made one cut T69th in the 84 Lumber Classic of Pennsylvania.
2003 Nationwide Tour Summary: Tournaments entered: 10 / Cuts made: 3 / Top-Ten Finishes: 0 / Best finish: T59th at the Rheem Classic / Earnings: $4,109 Rank (247th).