Linn Grant captured her maiden LPGA Tour victory as she saw off the challenge of US Women’s Open champion, Allisen Corpuz, to win by three shots at the Dana Open in Ohio.
The 24-year-old Swede, who graduated from Arizona State in 2021, has enjoyed a remarkable rise in her first two season, with this win her ninth as a professional. Despite winning four times in her rookie year on the Ladies European Tour in 2022, Grant had been unable to compete in America due to her Covid-19 vaccination status.
However, with restrictions finally lifted in May allowing unvaccinated foreigners to visit the country, Grant competed for the first time in America at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play in May.
Now, in just her fourth US start, Grant has become an LPGA Tour winner for the first time having shot a solid three-under-par 68 to finish the tournament at -21.
"I think I've imagined this day so many times in so many ways in my own mind," Grant said after her victory on Sunday. "Just 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."
Having opened with rounds of 64 and 69, the young Swede made her charge on Saturday with a blistering nine-under-par round of 62, with a bogey on 16 ultimately scuppering any chances of becoming the first person since Annika Sorenstam to shoot a 59 on the LPGA Tour.
Heading into Sunday, Grant had a six-shot lead and opened with seven straight pars before a chip-in birdie on the par-three 8th maintaining her advantage over the field.
“I think for me I just really have to go out and have a plan, just as I have on day one, two and three. In my mind, I'm still thinking that someone could come from behind and shoot a 9-under. And so in my head, I still had to shoot 2-, 3-under today.”
Birdies on 11 and 13 were cancelled out by a bogey on 14, but Grant held steady with a par save on 16 and birdie at the last ensuring Corpuz’s back-nine charge would fall short.
The American, competing the week after her historic first Major triumph at Pebble Beach, made five birdies in her last eight holes but ultimately ended up three back of Grant in second.
“Coming to this course after Pebble, just a few more birdie opportunities. I think I just really took advantage of that,” Corpuz said.
