In the year 2000, Johan Elliot founded Sportyard seeing a need for a more modern way of working with client management. Prior to that he had played professional golf on various tours and in 2001 he gained valuable experience when caddying for Christopher Hanell for five months on the PGA European Tour.
Starting with two golfers, Sophie Gustafson and Henrik Stenson, Sportyard has significantly grown in size and now represents several of the top golf players in the world. Below you will find a few milestones in our history.
Sportyard had a flying start in 2000 when Sophie won the Italian Open, the British Open and the Irish Open and also secured her first US LPGA Tour victory by winning the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. Sophie crowned her year by qualifying for the European Solheim Cup team.
Through his number one placement, including three tournament wins, on the 2000 Challenge Tour, Henrik Stenson plays his first season on the PGA European Tour in 2001 and claims his first victory, the Benson and Edges International Open at the Belfry, the same year.
In 2002, Richard S Johnson finished tied eleventh at the US PGA Tour Qualification School with Johan Elliot on the bag, giving Richard his card to the US PGA Tour.
In 2003 Johan Edfors wins the European Challenge Tour Order of Merit earning him his first full season on the PGA European Tour in 2004 where his good friend, Henrik Stenson, returns to winning form when winning the Heritage at Woburn.
In 2005, Carl Pettersson claims Sportyard's first triumph on the US PGA Tour by winning the Chrysler Championship. In 2006 Carl claims, arguably to date, Sweden's most prestigious tournament win (on the men's side) by triumphing at the Memorial.
In the same year, Johan Edfors wins three times on the PGA European Tour by claiming the trophies at TCL Classic, British Masters and the Scottish Open.
Also in 2006, both Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson qualifies for the victorious European Ryder Cup team where Henrik had the honor to sink the winning put. Inspired by this event Henrik goes on to win the 2007 WGC - Accenture Match Play.
In 2008 Robert and Henrik are once again part of the European Ryder Cup team while Martin Kaymer makes his first trip with the team, however, only as a spectator to gain valuable experience when watching the team loose against USA.
Possibly wanting revenge from the loss at the Ryder Cup, Robert and Henrik win Sweden's first World Cup in Mission Hills, China at the end of 2008. Robert ends an incredible season as the number one on the PGA European Tour Order of Merit.
Sportyard's first taste of a Major win comes in 2009 when Henrik Stenson wins, what at least the most Americans call, the fifth Major - The Players Championship.
However, the Champagne can definitely be opened when Martin Kaymer claims the cup at the 2010 US PGA Championship.
This win, together with three other victories, makes Martin the Race to Dubai champion with a large margin. Martin receives the tributes in the season final along with Robert Karlsson who is victorious in the last play-off of the season.
Worth mentioning is that Martin becomes the second German and, more importantly, the fourth Sportyard player in history to be selected for a European Ryder Cup team when he is part of the winning team at Celtic Manor in Wales.
Early in the morning of February 28, 2011, Martin Kaymer becomes the first Sportyard client to reach the number one spot on the Official World Golf Rankings.
To be continued.
