Former Baylor golfer Joakim Mikkelsen. Courtesy photo.
You know what they say about Texas! While everything may not be bigger, the differences between the two countries are evident even down to the sport of choice.
have played a bunch of golf together. We are from the same town, members at the same golf club and have traveled around to the same tournaments a lot,” said Mikkelsen.
“College golf so far is way different from the golf I’m used to playing and the courses are also different from what I’m used to,” said Gjesteby when asked about his playing time with the Norwegian national team.
Although Mikkelsen had already graduated before Gjesteby had stepped foot on campus as a student, both expressed a common motivation for attending Baylor: academics. Gjesteby listed getting a good education as one of the top things he is looking forward to as a Baylor student along with learning a new culture and meeting new people. Mikkelsen “learned that [Baylor] was an excellent school academically, as well as a place that took athletics very seriously.”
Gjesteby was born in Drammen, a town of roughly 64,000 located about 40 minutes southwest of Oslo, and attended high school at Norges Toppidrettsgymnas (Norwegian College of Elite Sport). Interestingly, Gjesteby is not the first golfer to attend Baylor from the school. Another notable Baylor Bear attended the same high school and was crucial for recruiting the freshman. I heard about Baylor through Joakim [Mikkelsen]. He is pretty much the reason I chose Baylor,” said Gjesteby of his long-time friend. Joakim Mikkelsen graduated in May with a degree in communications and is currently playing in PGA Tour qualifying tournaments to earn the chance to compete with the best players in the game.
Mikkelsen’s continued success on the course as well as his time as a Baylor student is a story that current and prospective student-athletes can learn from. He improved his game each year, eventually winning a Big 12 championship as well as earning All-American honors. But it’s not just his success as an athlete that is paying dividends for him. “Being a Baylor graduate has been valuable to me in many ways. Not only do I have a degree from one of the best schools in the nation,” Mikkelsen says with a chuckle.“I know I’m biased, but being able to represent Baylor as a student athlete for four years is something I will never forget.”
“I have known Andreas since he was a young kid, and we
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