By: Max Bechtoldt
In the wake of Annika’s dominance and Anna Nordqvist’s three-major championship (and still running) career, Sweden has seen a surge in women’s golf. Sweden had five players on the 2023 European Solheim Cup team, the most of any country. They potentially could have even more this season. At the 2024 Olympics, Sweden sends in two of the most talented young players in the world to represent their country on the biggest stage for the first time. Meet the two players representing Sweden at the 2024 Olympics:
LINN GRANT
Grant is one of the newest superstars in the game of women’s golf because of her absurd performance both in Europe and the United States over the past three seasons. Since 2022 Grant has six wins on the Ladies European Tour, including twice in the Scandinavian Mixed Event, where she competed against both the best players on the LET as well as the best on the men’s DP World Tour. In just over one season full-time on the LPGA Tour, Grant’s incredible ball-striking has led her to one win and six top-10 finishes. Grant is clearly one of the most talented players in the world, as evidenced by her near-59 in the third round of the 2023 Dana Open, her LPGA Tour win. Grant was also strong in the Solheim Cup, posting a 3-2 record. She is now ranked No. 25 in the Rolex Rankings, and is starting to hit her stride this season, with improving solo performances in the last couple of months.
MAJA STARK
It is almost eerie how similar Stark and Grant’s careers have been. While Stark’s career took off a year earlier, like Grant she has six wins on the LET and one on the LPGA Tour. Also like Grant, Stark has two top-10 finishes in majors during her short career. The No. 20 player in the world hit a hot streak earlier this season, with top-three performances in three out of four starts, including at the Chevron Championship, where she was a runner-up. Stark has 12-career top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour, and went 2-1-1 in her first Solheim Cup appearance. Currently, Stark is ranked No. 10 in the CME Standings despite not having a win yet, a testament to her solid play on a consistent basis. Since 2021, there are very few countries that have two players playing stronger golf than Sweden. Keep a strong eye on this prestigious women’s golf country.
