2021 AIG Women’s Open champion Anna Nordqvist feels right at home in Scotland. Not only are her husband and her caddie both Scots, but she also won her second major title here last year at Carnoustie, winning by a single shot over fellow Swede Madelene Sagstrom, Georgia Hall, and Lizette Salas. With her title defense on tap next week at Muirfield, Nordqvist will tee it up this week in the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open for the fifth time, looking to remind herself of what it takes to play well on Links style golf courses as well as improve upon last year’s T12 finish at Dumbarnie Links.
“There's just something about the atmosphere here,” said Nordqvist. “I love coming back here and playing. It's nice to get some fresh air and a little bit cooler temperatures than we've had the last couple months. Links golf is different. You have to adjust a little bit to the wind and bounces but there's just something about it that I really love. The course is in really good shape. It's tough greens. A lot of slope run-offs and slopes on the greens. Depending on the wind, might play really tough. I think it's a fair test and I'm looking forward to the test this week.”
Nordqvist has been in solid form thus far this season, notching three top-20 finishes on the LPGA Tour, including a tie for sixth at the U.S. Women's Open presented by ProMedica at Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club. She recently won the Big Green Egg Open on the Ladies European Tour by a single shot over Sarah Schober and finished T22 at last week’s Amundi Evian Championship despite a less-than-stellar putting performance. As the European swing rolls on and both the courses and conditions get tougher, keep an eye on the 35-year-old Swede as Nordqvist is the type of player that seems to thrive when things get difficult.
“It's just trying to figure out the lines off the tees, and depending on the wind, what might change, where you can miss it and where you're going to put yourself. If you miss it on the wrong side of the greens, you're going to have really tough shots. Just trying to find the best game plan for my game,” she said of her preparation. “I'm excited about going to next week as defending champion, and it's probably the greatest honor of being a European golfer, adding that trophy to my name. I've never played Muirfield before, so I don't know what to expect next week, and I've obviously never played this course. But I think just enjoying being back in Scotland and playing links golf and soaking it all in, I'm pretty good at staying in the moment.”
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