Björn Oskar Ingemar Åkesson (born 4 January 1989) is a
Swedish professional golfer that has played on the
European Tour
The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
. He won the 2023
Nordic Golf League
The Nordic Golf League is one of the third-tier men's professional golf tours, recognised by the European Tour, also known as the Satellite Tours. The top five players on the Order of Merit at the end of each season earn status to play on the seco ...
Order of Merit and the 2024
NMB Championship in South Africa.
Amateur career
Åkesson had a successful youth career and played for the Swedish National Team from the age of 15. In 2006, he was runner-up at the
Boys Amateur Championship
The Boys Amateur Championship is a golf tournament which is held annually in the United Kingdom. The competition is organised and run by The R&A.
History
The Boys Amateur Championship was first played at Royal Ascot in 1921. In 1921 boys had to ...
and became the youngest ever winner of the Duncan Putter at
Southerndown Golf Club in Wales, until the event was won by 15-year-old Tim Harry in 2013.
In 2007, he won the Polo Golf Junior Classic at the Reunion Resort in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. He won the
Junior Golf World Cup in Japan together with
Jesper Kennegård
Jesper Theodor Kennegård (born 11 July 1988) is a Sweden, Swedish professional golfer and Challenge Tour player. He won the Junior Golf World Cup in 2007 and the Nordic Golf League Order of Merit in 2013.
Early life and amateur career
Kennegård ...
, Daniel Jennevret and
Pontus Widegren, finishing in on the podium individually.
Åkesson made his debut on the
European Tour
The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
in 2006 after winning the amateur qualifying tournament for the
EnterCard Scandinavian Masters.
He played for the European teams in the
Jacques Léglise Trophy
The Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual amateur boys' team golf competition between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It was first played in 1977, as a one-day match before the Boys Amateur Championship, but since 1996 it has ...
,
St Andrews Trophy
The St Andrews Trophy is a biennial men's team golf tournament contested between teams of amateur golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It takes its name from St Andrews in Scotland.
It was first played in 19 ...
and the
Bonallack Trophy
The Bonallack Trophy is an amateur golf competition on the model of the Ryder Cup which opposes every two years a European team and a team representing Asia/Pacific. The venue alternates between courses in Europe and Asia/Pacific.
The first compe ...
at
Valderrama Golf Club
The Real Club Valderrama (; "Royal Valderrama Club") is one of the best known golf clubs in the world. It is located in the Mediterranean resort of Sotogrande, San Roque in the Andalusia region of southern Spain, up the coast a few miles from th ...
, where he won two points in foursomes against
Danny Lee.
Professional career
Åkesson turned professional in 2009 and joined the
Nordic Golf League
The Nordic Golf League is one of the third-tier men's professional golf tours, recognised by the European Tour, also known as the Satellite Tours. The top five players on the Order of Merit at the end of each season earn status to play on the seco ...
In 2010, he secured his maiden title at the
Gefle Open and finished 2nd in the season rankings to earn promotion to the Challenge Tour.
On the 2011
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour, currently titled as the HotelPlanner Tour for sponsorship reasons and also sometimes referred to as the European Challenge Tour, is the second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European To ...
Åkesson tied for 3rd at the
Kärnten Golf Open in Austria. He finished ranked 54th in 2011 and 35th in 2012. At the end of 2012, he earned his
European Tour
The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reasons, and legally the PGA European Tour or the European Tour Group, is the leading men's professional golf tour in Europe. The organisation also operates the European ...
card through
Q School.
In
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, his rookie European Tour season, his best finish was a 5th place at the
Tshwane Open
The Tshwane Open was a golf tournament played since 2013 in Gauteng Province, South Africa. It was played at Copperleaf Golf & Country Estate in Centurion, South Africa in 2013 and 2014 and moved to Pretoria Country Club in Waterkloof in 2015. ...
in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
and he finished 143rd in the ranking.
Åkesson spent 2014 and 2015 on the Challenge Tour. In 2014, he recorded four top-6 finishes and in 2015 he was tied 3rd at the
Turkish Airlines Challenge and finished runner-up at the
Foshan Open in China, two strokes behind winner
Borja Virto of Spain, after finding water on the final hole. He finished 6th in the season ranking and
earned promotion to the
2016 European Tour
The 2016 European Tour was the 45th season of the European Tour, the main professional golf tour in Europe since its inaugural season in 1972.
Changes for 2016 Rule changes
For the 2016 season, the European Tour modified its membership requireme ...
. He enjoyed had a good start to 2016 with a tie for third place in the
Joburg Open at
Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Golf Club in South Africa, his career best finish on the European Tour.
Åkesson took a break from touring in 2017 to become a teaching pro. In 2023, he staged a comeback in earnest and won three tournaments to top the
2023 Nordic Golf League Order of Merit. On his return to the Challenge Tour in 2024, he won the
NMB Championship a stroke ahead of England's
Lee Slattery
Lee Andrew Slattery (born 3 August 1978) is an English professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He has won twice on the tour, the 2011 Bankia Madrid Masters and the 2015 M2M Russian Open.
Professional career
Slattery turned professi ...
.
Amateur wins
*2006 Duncan Putter
*2007 TourGolf Open, Polo Golf Junior Classic
Source:
Professional wins (5)
Challenge Tour wins (1)
''*Note: The 2024 NMB Championship was shortened to 54 holes due to strong winds.''
1Co-sanctioned by the
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern and East Africa. For much of its early history it was known either as the Southern Africa Tour or Sunshine Circuit; through sponsorship deals, it has also been known as the F ...
Nordic Golf League wins (4)
Team appearances
Amateur
*
European Boys' Team Championship
The European Boys' Team Championship (Jean-Louis Dupont Trophy) is a European amateur team golf championship for men up to 18 organized by the European Golf Association. The inaugural event was held in 1980 and it has been played annually since.
S ...
(representing Sweden): 2005, 2006
*
Eisenhower Trophy
The Eisenhower Trophy (World Men's Amateur Team Championships) is the biennial World Amateur Team Championship for men organized by the International Golf Federation. Since the tournament was first played in 1958 Eisenhower Trophy, 1958, it is nam ...
(representing Sweden):
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
*
Jacques Léglise Trophy
The Jacques Léglise Trophy is an annual amateur boys' team golf competition between Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It was first played in 1977, as a one-day match before the Boys Amateur Championship, but since 1996 it has ...
(representing the Continent of Europe): 2006 (winners)
*
European Amateur Team Championship
The European Amateur Team Championship is a European amateur team golf championship for men organised by the European Golf Association which was introduced in 1959.
The championship was played in odd-numbered years from 1959 to 2007 and has been ...
(representing Sweden):
2007
2007 was designated as the International Heliophysical Year and the International Polar Year.
Events
January
* January 1
**Bulgaria and Romania 2007 enlargement of the European Union, join the European Union, while Slovenia joins the Eur ...
,
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
*
Junior Golf World Cup (representing Sweden): 2007 (winners)
*
Bonallack Trophy
The Bonallack Trophy is an amateur golf competition on the model of the Ryder Cup which opposes every two years a European team and a team representing Asia/Pacific. The venue alternates between courses in Europe and Asia/Pacific.
The first compe ...
(representing Europe): 2008 (winners)
*
St Andrews Trophy
The St Andrews Trophy is a biennial men's team golf tournament contested between teams of amateur golfers representing Great Britain & Ireland and the Continent of Europe. It takes its name from St Andrews in Scotland.
It was first played in 19 ...
(representing the Continent of Europe): 2008
See also
*
2012 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
*
2015 Challenge Tour graduates __NOTOC__
This is a list of players who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2015. The top 15 players on the Challenge Tour's money list in 2015 earned European Tour
The European Tour, currently titled as the DP World Tour for sponsorship reaso ...
*
2024 Challenge Tour graduates __NOTOC__
This is a list of players who graduated from the Challenge Tour in 2024.
Both Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and John Parry earned immediate promotion to the European Tour during the 2024 season by winning three times on the Challenge Tour. ...
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Akesson, Bjorn
Swedish male golfers
European Tour golfers
Golfers from Malmö
1989 births
Living people
21st-century Swedish sportsmen