Why did Jesper Parnevik retire from professional golf? All you need to know

Who does not remember Jesper Parnevik, who brought color to every event where he was in the field? The Swede marked the transition of the golf world from the 20th to the 21st century with his shocking looks and excellent performances. Although he retired early, he still leaves his mark on the senior circuit.

Jesper Parnevik had a great career in the Open category. Unfortunately, it ended prematurely as injuries prevented him from maintaining his level. First his hip and then his spine caused him to retire from top level tournaments.

In 2009, he cut his season short to undergo a hip surgery to fix the problem. After his return to top competition in 2010, his problems continued, this time with back pain.

Jesper Parnevik was cut for the first three tournaments of 2010 and withdrew from the fourth. Emergency surgery revealed that he had an injured lumbar vertebra. He underwent a fusion and there was little hope that he would be able to resume his sporting career.

Jesper Parnevik tried to continue his career, looking for one alternative after another, but he could not stabilize himself on the PGA Tour. He played his last tournament at this level in 2015 (Puerto Rico Open).

However, Parnevik did not give up completely and sought new sporting horizons on the senior circuit. In 2015, he started playing on the PGA Tour Champions as well as the Legends Tour.

What was Jesper Parnevik's professional career like?

Had it not been for injuries, Jesper Parnevik would probably have continued playing at the highest level for many more years. However, he played in the Open category for almost 30 years, most of them with good results.

Parnevik made his professional debut in 1986 and played his first tournaments both on the Swedish circuit (where he won the Swedish Open in 1990) and on the European Tour (now the DP World Tour). By 1989, he was a consistent player on the main European circuit. His first victory at this level came in 1993 (Scottish Open).

Parnevik in 1994 (Image via Getty).

His transition to the PGA Tour began that same year and he became a full member in 1994. His first victory on the world's leading tour came in 1998 (Phoenix Open).

Parnevik retired as one of the greatest Swedish golfers of all time. On the PGA Tour, he has five wins, 50 top 10s and 267 cuts in 393 tournaments played.

On the European Tour, he has four wins, 37 top 10s and 165 cuts in 236 events. He also has five other wins on other circuits.

On the PGA Tour Champions, he has one victory and eight top 10s in 137 tournaments. On the Legends Tour, his results included nine cuts in 12 events played.