BELLEAIR, Fla. — Linn Grant of Sweden had a lot management of her sport that she performed 52 holes consecutive holes and not using a bogey, a streak that ended on the ultimate gap Sunday when it not mattered. She closed with a 5-under 65 for a three-shot victory over Jennifer Kupcho in The Annika.
It was Grant’s second LPGA title, and the second time she acquired a trophy from Swedish nice and match host Annika Sorenstam. Grant gained the Scandinavian Blended in Sweden when Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson had been co-hosts.
“You made this course look simple. It isn’t simple,” Sorenstam informed her on the 18th inexperienced.
It should have felt that strategy to Grant, who was by no means underneath a lot stress. She completed at 19-under 261 and had an opportunity to set the match document till a bogey on the ultimate gap, her first one since her opening gap Friday.
“There are weeks the place everybody looks like their sport is actually good and there might probably be a win. It is simply very nice to love see it go all the best way and to essentially stroll off 18 and be capable of pat your self on the shoulder and really feel like I really did it this week,” Grant mentioned.
She is the primary Swedish winner of the match that started in 2020, much more significant to Grant as a result of she remembers going to clinics Sorenstam held in Sweden when she was a lady and recollects watching Sorenstam hit wedges to somebody catching them with a baseball glove.
“I began doing that with my dad, so thanks for that,” Grant informed Sorenstam.
Kupcho birdied the primary gap to tie for the lead, however solely briefly. Grant birdied the following gap and by no means trailed once more. The Swede needed to make a 15-foot birdie putt to remain one forward by way of 5 holes, after which she seized management on the par-3 ninth.
Kupcho made her second bogey of the entrance 9, and Grant rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt to increase the result in three pictures. Nobody received any nearer the remainder of the best way.
Kupcho additionally closed with a 65.
“I am glad she was enjoying properly as a result of I believe that actually pushed me to play higher,” Grant mentioned. “And total, I simply had the considered whoever wins goes to have a very good job.”
Gaby Lopez of Mexico birdied 4 of her final six holes for a 65 to complete third.
Brooke Matthews additionally got here away a winner in two respects. She made a hole-in-one with a 9-iron from 140 yards on the twelfth gap to win a two-year lease on a Lamborghini Huracán. Two holes later, Matthews chipped in for eagle and all these nice pictures mattered.
It added to a 65 — a card that included scores of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 — to tie for ninth, giving her sufficient factors to maneuver into the highest 60 of the Race to the CME Globe. That qualifies her for subsequent week’s season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, the place the winner will get $4 million.
“It was wild,” Matthews mentioned. “All week I used to be like, ‘I need to win the Lamborghini.’ … Simply noticed it bounce. I nonetheless cannot consider it. I blacked out. I am unable to wait to observe it on movie as a result of I nonetheless cannot actually keep in mind it.”
Nataliya Guseva had her personal massive second. She holed out with a niche wedge from 109 yards on the ultimate gap for birdie — she needed to lay up out of a fairway bunker — giving her a 68 that moved the Russian into the highest 60.
Lucy Li additionally advances to subsequent week down the coast in Naples. Her birdie on the ultimate gap gave her a 66 and moved her up 13 spots to No. 58.
Grant was working out of time to increase her streak of successful every year someplace on the earth courting to 2020, when she was nonetheless an novice and gained twice on the Nordic Golf League. She has gained titles on the LPGA, Women European Tour, LET Entry Collection, Women Sunshine Tour, Nordic Golf League and even the European Tour, which co-sanctioned the Scandinavian Blended.
“My dad is a person of excellent phrases,” she mentioned. “When he checked out another person’s profession he at all times mentioned, ‘In case you have a win yearly that is fairly strong.’ I assume that is what it’s.”
Defending champion Nelly Korda, a three-time winner at Pelican Golf Membership, began six pictures behind and could not hold tempo with Grand. She closed with a 69 and tied for fifteenth.