Linn Grant figured if she was going to make history, she may as well do so in style.
The 22-year-old Swede trounced the competition at the Scandinavian Mixed on Sunday, becoming the first female golfer to win on the DP World Tour.
Grant began Sunday’s final round with a two-shot lead. Then she birdied five of the first six holes at Halmstad Golf Club. By the time she finally saw a leaderboard, she was more than a touchdown clear of the field.
“I didn’t see [my lead] until the 13th green,” she said. “I thought maybe three, four ahead. When I saw 8 I was like whew, I can breathe out a little bit and go on and do my thing.”
Grant closed things out in style, continuing to add to her lead en route to a four-day total of 24 under par. She made 26 birdies and an eagle on the week to win by nine shots.
The Scandinavian Mixed is a revolutionary format co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour and Ladies European Tour in which 78 men and 78 women compete in a 72-hole stroke play event. The tournament, held in Tylösand, Sweden, is hosted by Swedish legends Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson and features two sets of tees but one combined purse of $2 million.
Asked if she’d been especially determined to beat the men, Grant laughed.
“For sure. That’s 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.”
The win is Grant’s third LET victory in her last six starts. But compared to payouts at the Joburg Ladies Open ($37,500 for first) and the Belgian Ladies Open ($30,000), the $319,717 first prize is a significant financial windfall for Grant.
“I just actually got a new car this week so we’ll see about that…” she said, asked about a potential splurge.
The win served as a bright spot in a week filled with infighting in the men’s professional game based around the launch of the LIV series and its nine-figure guaranteed payouts. Grant hopes the win cast light on the talent in the women’s game.
“I just hope people recognize women’s golf more sponsors go to LET than the men’s tour and hopefully this pumps up the women’s game a little more,” she said.
Other LET players took to social media to express their support including British golfer Meghan MacLaren.
“This is exactly why events like this matter,” she wrote on Twitter.
Grant’s boyfriend Pontus Samuelsson was her caddie for the week, as she said, “keeping me calm and doing everything right.” So far, so good for this partnership: In addition to beating every man in the field by nine or more, Grant beat the next-best woman by 14 (Gabriella Cowley, T15).
Grant grew up an hour away. Her parents were in attendance, witnessing their daughter making history. It was fitting that it was a Swede who made history, here in Sweden. And it was fitting that Stenson finished T2, a proud host happy to be soundly beaten.
“Hopefully there’s a celebration at home tonight,” she said.
At home, and around the world.