History will forever remember Linn Grant as the first female winner of a DP World Tour event but the Swede is hoping for more immediate recognition for the women’s game.
The sweet-swinging 22-year-old turned a two-stroke 54-hole lead into a runaway nine-stroke victory at the €2 million Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed on Sunday with a stunning closing 64 that belied the pressure of being stalked by a famous compatriot with major credentials.
In the end, Henrik Stenson, co-host with Annika Sörenstam of the event co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), played little more than a bit-part on the final day at Halmstad Golf Club. A 70 saw the 2016 Open Champion finish joint runner-up with Marc Warren after the Scot waltzed up the final leaderboard with a 65.
But this was Grant’s historic moment, a €319,716 payday further sweetening her warp-speed rise to stardom after the Swede turned professional in August last year.
The game has changed.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/ooLzcp2bXI
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 12, 2022
With her boyfriend, Pontus, on her bag, it was a third title in just Grant’s sixth start on the LET and her second in successive events. There have also been a pair of victories on the Sunshine Ladies Tour and a maiden pro breakthrough on the second-tier LET Access.
She’s recorded eight successive rounds in the 60s in winning the past two LET events and was impressively the only player to go bogey-free during the final 36 holes in Tylösand.
“I hope this victory is big,” said Grant after adding her historic home victory to LET wins at the Joburg Ladies Open and Mithra Belgian Ladies Open.
“I hope it brings women more forward and it gets people’s eyes on us a little bit more. It is always nice to say that you beat the guys for a week. To be able to speak Swedish and hear everyone out there cheering for you, it was amazing.”
The sweet swinging Swede 🔊 Linn Grant is the first female winner in @DPWorldTour history! pic.twitter.com/tyPndAJ3EO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2022
Asked if she was doubly determined to beat the men from the DP World Tour, Grant didn’t leave any doubt.
“For sure – the most important thing,” she said.
“It’s a nice feeling. All week I just felt like it’s the girls against the guys and whoever picks up that trophy represents the field.”
“I just hope that people recognise women’s golf, more sponsors go to the LET and hopefully this pumps up the women’s game a little bit more.”
Grant stretched her overnight lead from two shots to seven with five birdies in the first six holes and never looked back.
Then 🆚 Now
Linn Grant and @ANNIKA59 together in 2014 and 2022.#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/2AcYxZwE5F
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 12, 2022
“My first day with Annika Sörenstam was my most scary and stressful one, so today on the first fairway I told Pontus that I was very calm and it’s very doable today to play with this.
“I felt happy and relieved and to be able to get in the zone and just enjoy golf for a last day was very nice. When I walked up on the 13th green, I saw the leaderboard and I saw it was eight shots and it was very relaxing to not have to change gears and I could just go out and continue doing what I was doing.”
Long before the 13th, Stenson knew it was game over.
“I ended up tied second with a couple of late birdies and the only thing I could have done better was solo second because there was just one player out there today and she played amazing.
“Every time I looked back she was in prime position and just gave herself birdie chances one after another I would imagine, so there wasn’t much I could do against a player like that, so very well played and congratulations to Linn.”
How it finished 📈#VolvoScandinavianMixed
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 12, 2022
