By: Max Bechtoldt
Welcome to the Fore-All weekend rundown for one of the most exciting weeks in women’s golf in a long time. The LPGA Tour saw a final round scoring record, the LET had a shocking finish, a Solheim Cup captain won on the Legends Tour and a first-time Epson Tour winner. Read below for more details:
LINNEA STRÖM COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN
Linnea Ström won her first career LPGA Tour event in one of the most unique ways possible. Ström was in the third group out on Sunday, facing a seven-shot deficit to Jenny Shin. The lead was erased quickly as Ström birdied 3, 5, 6, 8 and eagled 9. She added five more birdies on the back nine, including her last three holes to shoot 60, one shot shy of tying fellow Swede Annika Sörenstam’s record. Ström was finished with her round before the coverage on Peacock even began. Ström had just about four hours to wait and see if anyone would match her score. Ayaka Furue and Megan Khang, both top 25 players in the world, came the closest, with Khang actually getting to the -14 mark set by Ström. Khang had a critical bogey on 16, putting her a stroke out of the lead, but still with the reachable par 5 18 ahead. After a perfect drive and an average second shot, Khang hit a poor chip that sealed her fate.
LINN GRANT WINS A THRILLER IN HER HOMETOWN
The Volvo Car Scandanavian Mixed is one of the most unique events on the golf schedule, matching the best of the DP World Tour and LET in the same field, all going head-to-head. Swedish LPGA Tour star Linn Grant entered the final round 11 strokes behind leader Sebastian Söderberg. What followed was one of the worst golf collapses in recent memory. But first, the great play of Linn Grant, which gave her the chance in the end. Grant birdied six of the first 10 holes before cooling with seven pars in a row. On the 18th hole she chipped in for birdie, probably at the time hoping it would provide a second-place finish. Then came Söderberg’s nightmare. After a decent start, Söderberg bogeyed 8, 13 and 15, stepping onto 18 with a one-stroke lead. After an ideal tee shot, he put his second shot in the greenside bunker. An average shot left him with about 20 feet to win, a putt which he put within gimme range. Except, 15 inches wasn’t quite close enough, as he lipped out for the loss. This was Grant’s second win in this event, making her not just the only woman to win on the DP World Tour, but also the only woman to win twice.
CATRIONA MATTHEW AND BECKY MORGAN WIN INAUGURAL WOODFORD LEGENDS INVITATIONAL
The team of Becky Morgan and Catriona Matthew won the first ever playing of the Woodford Legends Invitational in Lexington, Kentucky, with two rounds of 59. In the two-person scramble format, the first day went by pretty flawless, with Matthew and Morgan carding six birdies on the front nine and seven on the back, taking a one shot lead going into day two. The second day, after six birdies once again on the front, Matthew and Morgan had eagles on both back nine par fives, including a long putt made on 17 by Matthew. They finished with a three-stroke win over Michelle McGann and Laura Diaz.
CASSIE PORTER WINS FOR THE FIRST TIME ON THE EPSON TOUR
Australian Cassie Porter won for the first time on the Epson Tour, with a one-stroke victory over New Zealand’s Amelia Garvey. It was Porter’s second top-five finish of the season, after finishing in third-place at the season-opening event. Porter didn’t have a terrific start, opening with a +1 73, but recovered shooting -4 and -3 over the final two days. Porter now sits at No. 2 in the Race for the Card standings, continuing the momentum for Australian women’s golfers in 2024.
