Linn Grant conquers The Annika with a dominant performance
Swedish golfer Linn Grant demonstrated absolute control in her game, accumulating 52 consecutive holes without committing a single bogey. This impressive streak came to an end on the final hole on Sunday, but by then the victory was already secured. Grant closed the competition with a score of 65 strokes, five under par, securing a three-stroke victory over Jennifer Kupcho at The Annika.
This triumph represents Grant’s second LPGA title and the second time she has received a trophy from the legendary Swedish golfer and tournament host, Annika Sorenstam. Grant had already won the Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden, where Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson co-hosted.
“You made this field look easy. And it’s not,” Sorenstam told Grant on the 18th hole green.
Annika Sorenstam
The sense of ease that Grant conveyed during the tournament was evident, as he was never subjected to excessive pressure. He finished with a total of 19 under par, with 261 strokes, and was close to setting a new tournament record until he made a bogey on the last hole, the first since the initial hole on Friday.
Grant expressed his satisfaction with the performance, highlighting the importance of finishing an exceptional week of play with a victory.
Grant is the first Swedish golfer to win this tournament, which started in 2020. This achievement has a special meaning for Grant, who remembers attending Sorenstam’s clinics in Sweden as a child.“Hiciste que este campo pareciera fácil. Y no lo es”, le dijo la anfitriona del torneo Annika Sorenstam, a la derecha, a Linn Grant en el green del hoyo 18 el domingo.
Willie J. Allen Jr./APKupcho birdied the first hole to tie for the lead, but the tie didn’t last long. Grant responded with a birdie on the next hole and never relinquished the lead. The Swedish golfer maintained the advantage with a 15-foot birdie putt on the fifth hole, and then consolidated her dominance on the ninth.
Kupcho made her second bogey in the first nine holes, while Grant managed a 10-foot birdie, extending her lead to three strokes. No other competitor came closer in the rest of the course.
Kupcho also finished with a card of 65 strokes.
Gaby López, from Mexico, achieved birdies on four of her last six holes, finishing with a score of 65 strokes and securing third place.
Brooke Matthews also had a successful weekend. She achieved a hole-in-one with a 9-iron from 140 yards on the 12th hole, winning a two-year lease for a Lamborghini Huracán. Two holes later, Matthews achieved an eagle, demonstrating the importance of her excellent shots.
This performance, added to her card of 65 strokes, allowed her to tie for ninth place and accumulate enough points to enter the top 60 of the Race to the CME Globe, which qualifies her for next week’s CME Group Tour Championship, where the winner will take home $4 million.
Nataliya Guseva also had a highlight by achieving a birdie from 109 yards on the final hole, securing a score of 68 strokes that positioned her in the top 60.
Lucy Li also advanced to next week in Naples. Her birdie on the final hole gave her a score of 66 strokes and moved her up 13 positions to 58th place.
Grant was on the verge of losing his annual winning streak dating back to 2020, when he was still an amateur and won twice on the Nordic Golf League. Since then, he has won titles on the LPGA, the Ladies European Tour, the LET Access Series, the Ladies Sunshine Tour, the Nordic Golf League, and even the European Tour, which co-sanctioned the Scandinavian Mixed.
Defending champion Nelly Korda, who has won three times at the Pelican Golf Club, couldn’t keep up with Grant and finished in 15th place with a score of 69 strokes.
