May 5, 2008

Charlotte, N.C. -- Charlotte 49ers senior Jonas Enander Hedin (Taby, Sweden) has accepted an invitation to compete in the 2008 Palmer Cup presented by Monster, one of the most prestigious amateur events in the world. Enander Hedin is the first 49ers to earn a spot in the Palmer Cup, an annual Ryder Cup-style competition which pits the top collegiate players in the United States against the best from Europe. Enander Hedin, a native of Sweden, will be playing for the European squad. The event will be played June 26-27 on the 6,903 yard, par 71 Willie Park Junior-designed Glasgow Golf Club Gailes Links in Glasgow, Scotland.

"It really sums everything up on a great note," said Enander Hedin, who leads the fifth-ranked 49ers with a school-record 71.1 stroke average and is currently ranked fifth, nationally among collegiate players, by Golfstat. "I've worked hard here and our team has been very successful, but it's alway nice to be recognized as an individual, as well. To be finishing up college and to go out on a note like the Palmer Cup is an honor. You see the Ryder Cup on TV and see how excited those players are to be playing and it feels good to think you are doing the same thing, only on an amateur level."
Enander Hedin, a finalist on the "Watch List" of both the Nicklaus and Hogan National Awards, helped the 2007 Swedish National team win the Nordic Team Championships and has been a member of the Swedish Junior National team.

"I've played in a couple events for the Swedish National team and it's an honor to be able to wear the clothes and carry the bag of your country," Enander Hedin said. "With the Palmer Cup you take it a step further and represent the whole continent of Europe. It's something that only the best players are able to play in, so that says lot of what people think of me which feels good. It's a great note to end my career as an amateur."

Enander Hedin is the top player on the 49ers golf team, which wass the nation's consensus #1-ranked team this past fall. His current 71.1 stroke average is a new school record for the 49ers while his 72.78 career stroke average is also the best in school history.


Enander Hedin was the 49ers' 2007 Team MVP, leading Charlotte to a 3rd-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Div. I Championships with a 71.86 stroke average. He has led the 49ers in stroke average the last two years, becoming the first player in school history to boast back-to-back seasons of under-par golf. In 10 events this year, he has not placed out of the top 25 individuals and he boasts six top 10 finishes.

A three-time all-Atlantic 10 selection, he is a member of the 49ers standout senior class that has earned four straight NCAA Tournament berths and won three straight Atlantic 10 Championships. No other team in 49ers athletic history has made four straight NCAA appearances.

The European team consists of fellow Swede Jonas Blixt of Florida State, Stirling's Scott Borrowman, Johnnie Caldwell of South Alabama, Indiana's Jorge Campillo, Tennessee's Charlie Ford, Gareth Shaw of East Tennessee State and Southern California's Tim Sluiter. Blixt, Campillo and Shaw competed in last year's matches at Caves Valley. The European team - which will be coached by Mårten Olander of Sweden - has won the past two events in Europe but trails the series, 6-4-1.

"This is a good group with a multitude of talents," said Olander. "I think we have a really good chance of winning the Cup. I'm excited to be part of the Palmer Cup and work with future stars of professional golf."
"It should be interesting. The Americans have a good team, as well, but we have a pretty solid team with three Palmer Cup veterans," said Enander Hedin, who noted one benefit of competing in the event will be the opportunity to meet legendary Arnold Palmer. "I know about all of his great golf achievements and I'm excited to see what kind of person he is."

After helping Charlotte win the 2008 Atlantic 10 Championships with a third-place, nine-under par 207, Enander Hedin and the 49ers will now focus on the NCAA Regionals, May 15-17. The NCAA Championships, which the 49ers have advanced to in each of the last two years, will be held May 28-31.

"My swing is as sharp as it's been all year," Enander Hedin noted. "In evaluating my performance at the A-10, I have some mental aspects of my game that I need to get better to help us lower our scores. We are always doing that. You always need to find ways to improve, but right now my swing feels pretty good."