Jonas Blixt getting comfortable at home and at DP World Tour Championship

The 29-year-old Swede shot a seven-under 65 in the second round of the DP World Tour Championship, which moved him into a share of fifth place, reports Steve Elling.

Jonas Blixt of Sweden on the 18th green during the second round of the 2013 DP World Tour Championship on the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf Estates on Friday. Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images

DUBAI // The rising star Jonas Blixt recently completed the purchase of a house to serve as his United States base and plans to move in after the long season is finally, mercifully completed.

It will not take much of a moving lorry to haul his belongings from his apartment in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, to his home a few kilometres down the road in the same seaside city.

His trophy collection might be the bulkiest items.

In only his second full season playing on the major tours, the Swede, 29, is in position to add to his collection of titles after a seven-under 65 on Friday in the second round of the DP World Tour Championship, which moved him into a share of fifth place with Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

In a remarkably quick ascent that began during his rookie season in the US last year, Blixt already has recorded two PGA Tour victories and is contending this weekend at the European Tour’s cash-rich finale against one of the best global fields of the year.

If he wins tomorrow, perhaps he will use some of the prize money to buy a few household items for his new beach abode, a bungalow he is going to fix up as soon as he has time. He has been living a spartan lifestyle, to say the least.

“Me and my roommate, we don’t really care what it looks like,” Blixt said, slightly embarrassed. “I haven’t had a kitchen table in two-and-a-half years.”

His roommate is Nick Flanagan, an Australian who is a former US Amateur champion and one-time PGA Tour player.

“We have no bar stools, either, so there has been a lot of sitting on the couch and eating,” said Blixt, who has been using cardboard boxes as tables. This is a Swede who could use a trip to Ikea.

He and Flanagan have nothing hanging on the walls, either.

“I bought a painting, like, three years ago and it still hasn’t arrived,” he said.

However, Blixt has arrived in the golf world. At the start of his rookie season on the PGA Tour last year, he was ranked No 226 in the world, but he has climbed to No 42. He won an event last October and added another earlier this summer, which has given him an unusual distinction.

Since the Ryder Cup was completed, he has two US victories. Only countryman Henrik Stenson, the Race to Dubai leader, can make the same claim among all European players. Stenson is also the tournament co-leader this week, at 12 under.

Blixt played a practice round with Stenson, a former Dubai resident, earlier this week and the latter showed him some places to avoid on the Earth Course. Stenson apparently did not mention that large water hazard located just over the horizon called the Arabian Gulf.

On Monday, fresh off a flight from last week’s event in Turkey, Blixt, his caddie and his brother rented jet skis in Abu Dhabi and carved up a little ocean.

“I want one so bad,” Blixt said. “I always try to take a day off each week and have a little adventure day.”

If he keeps playing this well, a memorable outing in Scotland next year might soon follow. Blixt is likely to be in the mix for a spot on the European Ryder Cup team, which is assuredly in his sights. On a scale of one to 10, with one being paramount, he described his desire to make the team as, “Minus two.”

He has a trans-Pacific adventure day looming in January, too. Blixt played golf at Florida State University, and the school’s powerhouse football team is close to securing a spot in the national championship game. Blixt was quickly bitten by the American football bug while in school and is considering taking dramatic steps to see the game in person.

He is scheduled to play that week at a lucrative, winners-only PGA Tour event in Hawaii, but if the Florida State Seminoles play for the national title, he will be flying out of Hawaii in a hurry after the final putt is holed.

“I will probably charter a flight from Maui to Pasadena,” he said.

Otherwise, he will be rehabbing his new house. Furniture, once again, can wait.

“I want to put in a pool,” he said, laughing. “Someplace to put my new jet ski.”

The good news is, the DP World trophy is so tall, it looks good sitting on the floor.

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