SYLVANIA (Ohio): Rising Swedish player Linn Grant became the sixth Rolex First-Time Winner on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour with a three-shot victory in the Dana Open on Sunday.
While the 24-year-old Grant has five victories on the Ladies European Tour (LET), including a history-making nine-shot victory against men and women at last year’s Scandinavian Mixed, this was her first LPGA Tour title in 15 starts and her first career win on American soil.
Grant seized control of the US$1.75 million tournament with a stunning third round of nine under-par 62 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio. Taking a six-shot lead into the final round, she carded a closing 68 for a total of 21-under-par 263.
“I think I’ve imagined this day so many times in so many ways in my own mind. Being here now, I’m just so speechless and at the same time I feel familiar with the setting for some reason. But it’s just so fun,” said Grant, who won the LET Order of Merit and Rookie of the Year titles in 2022.
“I’m still thinking that someone could come from behind and shoot a nine-under. And so, in my head, I still had to just shoot two, three-under today – which I did,” she added.
Finishing three shots adrift following a closing 65 was American Allisen Corpuz, who had won last week’s US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach for her breakthrough LPGA title. The four other Rolex First-Time winners for 2023 are Lilia Vu (Honda LPGA Thailand), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open), Grace Kim (LOTTE Championship) and Rose Zhang (Mizuho Americas Open).
Following this week’s team-format Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Michigan, the LPGA Tour heads to Europe for a four-event swing which includes two Majors – The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France (July 27-30), and the AIG Women’s Open at England’s Walton Heath Golf Club (Aug 10-13).
With her victory in the LET’s Jabra Ladies Open at the Evian course in May, Grant will start as one the favourites for The Evian Championship.
“I feel like I’m in great form at the moment and I really like that golf course. I played well there last year and I had a win there this year, so I’m really excited to go back and play there again,” she noted.
Grant has now sealed her spot in the European team for the Solheim Cup in Spain this September. “It was a big goal coming into this year. Obviously, since I played well on the LET last year, I knew if I just continued to play my game I would be there in September. And I guess it’s even more clear now.”
A week after her triumph at Pebble Beach, Corpuz did not shoot worse than 68-over four rounds in Ohio but still had to settle for runner-up.
“Everything feels really good, just hoping to carry the momentum. I missed the cut at both Evian and British (AIG Women’s Open) last year, so have a lot of room for improvement. But the game feels really solid, so I’ll just try to keep doing the same thing,” said Corpuz, who moved up to fourth on the LPGA Tour’s Race to the CME Globe season standings.
Malaysian women’s number one Kelly Tan meanwhile finished T59 on even-par after rounds of 66, 71, 73 and 74, following a three-week break from tour. This was only the second time that the 29-year-old has made the 36-hole cut in 10 starts so far this year.
The LPGA Tour will return to Malaysia this October 26-29 with the USD3 million Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club’s West Course.
Results (Top 10 and ties)
263 (-21) Linn Grant (SWE) 64-69-62-68
266 (-18) Allisen Corpuz (USA) 67-66-68-65
269 (-15) Lindy Duncan (USA) 69-65-70-65
270 (-14) Xiyu Lin (CHN) 66-69-68-67
Stephanie Kyriacou (AUS) 70-66-65-69
271 (-13) Maria Fassi (MEX) 67-67-67-70
272 (-12) Aditi Ashok (IND) 66-70-67-69
Gaby Lopez (MEX) 70-65-68-69
Jaravee Boonchant (THA) 64-69-70-69
Minjee Lee (AUS) 67-68-67-70
