The Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards will mark the first time that 2022 rookie Linn Grant will play on American soil as a LPGA Tour Member and the 23-year-old is looking forward to the opportunity. Grant spent majority of the last year and a half competing – and winning – on the Ladies European Tour, capturing four titles in 2022 and another two weeks ago at the Jabra Ladies Open. With a grueling week of match play on deck, the Swede says she will be leaning on her recent LET success as she prepares to take on the LPGA’s best and is trying not to put too much pressure on herself, something she struggled with earlier this season.
“To get that win and prove to myself before coming here that I can still do to sort of. It boosts you. You know you're on a good track. Regardless of how you play you can get a win. It was just a nice week,” said Grant. “I think I enjoyed myself so much last year. I didn't even think of putting any pressure on myself. I was playing my own game and really enjoying the whole journey of it. And I think this year I just forgot about that a little bit, and having my mom with me last week and my coach helped me to find that again. I'm going to continue on this path now and really enjoy it and enjoy being a professional golfer.”
Grant teed it up in six LPGA events in 2022, missing one cut and earning four top-10 finishes, including a solo third at the TOTO Japan Classic. She has played in two Tour events thus far this season, finishing in a tie for 38th at the Honda LPGA Thailand and in a tie for 14th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship. While match-play events present entirely different challenges than stroke play tournaments, Grant’s performance in those eight starts and the experience she was able to glean from them has proved to be incredibly valuable, especially when it comes to pre-tournament preparation.
“I've just learned where my game is at and like on a regular week how I perform out here. Kind of know how the course setup is every week, what strategy to have, and so on,” Grant said. “Definitely this is a different week because it's a match-play week, but at the moment I'm just trying to learn through every week I play and bring that with me for next year and the years to come.”
But the Swede is a fiery competitor, and even though she’s just getting her feet wet when it comes to competing week in and week out on the LPGA Tour, Grant has some lofty goals for the 2023 season.
“Obviously make the Solheim Cup team. That would be a dream come true. And climb in the rankings, win some events. A major will be a goal for me until I do that,” she said. “It will be fun. I'm just going to try and enjoy and not think too much about it and get into the mood that this is my workplace now.”
)
)
)
)
