In first major as a pro, Swede wins the LPGA HAVRE DE GRACE, MD. – When asked this week about being a rookie contending for the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist repeated the same mantra: “I’m here to learn.”
Sunday at Bulle Rock, Nordqvist proved a quick study. Playing her first major championship as a professional, Nordqvist closed the deal like her childhood role model, Annika Sorrenstam. Making three birdies on the final five holes on her way to a closing 4-under-par 68, Nordqvist pulled away from Australia’s Lindsey Wright to win by four strokes.
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After finishing with a brilliant hybrid approach on the difficult 18th hole and tapping in her two-foot birdie putt, Nordqvist was doused with champagne. She wiped away a tear and reflected on her improbable victory.
“It’s a great feeling,” said the 6-foot Nordqvist. “I think it will take a couple of days to realize.”
Nordqvist (66-70-69-68 – 273), who turned pro after two and a half years at Arizona State, took the lead during the second round and never gave it up. She turned 22 on Wednesday. Four days later, she became the second straight rookie to win the McDonald’s LPGA. South Korea’s Yani Tseng won at age 19 last year.
“It was amazing. I said to her, ‘That was bloody awesome,'” said Wright. “Under that amount of pressure, not being in that position before, in a major, being a rookie? You can’t get any better than that.”
After three-putting for a bogey at No. 7 to fall five strokes back, Wright applied plenty of pressure, making long back-to-back birdie putts on the next two holes. When she took a bold line over water at No. 12 and made a 10-foot putt for birdie, she had sliced the lead to two.
When Nordqvist made her lone bogey of the final round, three-putting from 50 feet at No. 13, and Wright saved par with an explosion from a bunker and a clutch, 10-foot putt, the 29-year-old Australian trailed by one shot and looked ready to win her first major.
But Nordqvist didn’t flinch.
“She was great,” said Wright. “She didn’t falter today. She didn’t show the nerves at all.”
At No. 14, Nordqvist hit an 8-iron to within 10 feet and made the birdie putt. At No. 15, she made a poor approach, hitting a wedge fat and leaving her ball below a ridge. But Nordqvist ran her 30-foot putt up the hill and into the cup to regain a three-stroke lead.
“I kept being patient,” said Nordqvist. “I think that’s really what paid off.”
Then at No. 18, Nordqvist made a shot reminiscent of Se Ri Pak’s hybrid to tap-in range to win the LPGA title in 2006.
“To hit that shot on 18,” said Wright. “If that was me, I think I would have wedged it around to the green.”
With her win, Nordqvist collected $300,000, and a day off from a U.S. Open Sectional qualifier at Woodmont Country Club. Nordqvist was scheduled to play 36 holes with Michelle Wie. Instead, Nordqvist gets a five-year exemption into the Open.
It’s a long way to come for a player who had conditional status on the women’s tour, needing to qualify into some LPGA events.
“It was really tough, not being able to play,” said Nordqvist. “Just be patient and keep working hard and you’ll eventually work your way up.”
Or in the case of Nordquist, quite suddenly.
