Linn Grant historic winner in Scandinavian Mixed

HALMSTAD. In advance, the closing day of Scandinavian Mixed looked like it could be an even, exciting story. Linn Grant wanted something else. She started with four birdies first five holes and then she never peeked in the rearview mirror. Grant finished with 64 strokes and won with a crushing nine strokes ahead of runners-up Henrik Stenson and Marc Warren.

– It feels unbelievable, nice and I am very happy, says a happy Linn Grant.

The closing day in Halmstad was significantly grayer and cooler than the first three days, but it did not disturb Linn Grant and her radar partner Pontus Samuelsson. After the bogey on hole 15 second round, she played the last 39 holes of the competition without a single lost stroke against par. On them, Grant made an eagle, 14 birdies and 25 par.

– Today was actually the quietest day for me and I am most surprised that it was such a great distance. I got off to a good start and got in a few birdies early and felt I was playing well. I first looked at the leaderboard on the 13th hole and saw that I was leading by eight strokes, I thought it might be three or four, Grant says after the victory.

She won in front of family and friends and there was a lot of emotion after the historic victory. Grant was 14 strokes ahead of the nearest woman, Gabriella Cowley from England.

Linn Grant with the victory trophy after the victory in Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed // Photo: Getty Images

– Fantastic that the family got to be with and mother always cries. I feel most happy and of course relieved too, I do not think I had the strength for an exciting Sunday.

Linn Grant thus also became the historic first female winner ever on the DP World Tour and received a victory check of approximately SEK 3.3 million. The victory was also her third of the year in six starts on the Ladies European Tour during her first year as a professional. And after the victory, preparations begin immediately for next week and the plane takes off for London on Monday.

– It will be home and eat food and wash and pack, so it will probably be a little bad with celebration.

After the victory, crowds of young players were waiting for an autograph from their new idol.

– It is very important for me to be a good role model. If I can make them like golf and maybe feel that one day that “that’s how I want to play too” then it’s great.

Henrik Stenson became the second best Swede after a day that started with a spoon out into the woods to the left. After that bogey, there were two birdies and the rest par for a round of 71 strokes. Stenson finished in split second place, nine strokes behind Grant.