Sweden’s Linn Grant matched her career-low round on the LPGA Tour on Thursday at the Dana Open, firing a bogey-free, 7-under 64 to grab a share of the first-round lead. Starting the day on No. 10, Grant was on the par train for the first six holes of her round, finally breaking through with three consecutive birdies on holes 16, 17 and 18. She grabbed another on the par-3, 2nd hole, closing out her day with three more birdies on holes 6, 8 and 9 to tie the lowest 18-hole score of her career which she last shot in the final round of the 2022 Amundi Evian Championship.
After a challenging week at the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links where Grant finished tied for 53rd, coming to a low-scoring venue like Highland Meadows Golf Club has been a breath of fresh air for the 24-year-old. She’s taken advantage of the scorable conditions thus far and now holds the first 18-hole lead/co-lead of her LPGA Tour career, sitting alongside Jaravee Boonchant at the top of the leaderboard.
“I think coming off last week playing at Pebble, it was a challenge. I felt last week that I really hit the ball well and I was putting well. Obviously, coming here, easier conditions. I think that just suited my mindset for the day. I just got on a roll I guess,” said Grant, who hit 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens on Thursday. “I felt like I was playing good the first six holes but I just couldn't get the putts to go in. Then coming down with those two par-5s in the end, I'm quite confident when it comes to par-5s. I like those. I am glad I played them on my front nine. Having those at the end, 17, 18, could be a bit more challenging because you're more or less expecting yourself to make birdie on them.”
It's been a ho-hum 2023 season for Grant thus far. She’s recorded three top-20 finishes in her five previous starts, the best of which was a third-place result at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards. This is just her eighth under-par round of the season, six of which came in her first two starts of the year at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the HSBC Women’s World Championship. But the five-time Ladies European Tour winner has been at the top of her game across the pond, winning the Jabra Ladies Open in May and recording two additional top-five finishes at the Lalla Meryem Cup (2) and the Aramco Team Series – Singapore (T4).
Still figuring out how to compete and win the United States, Grant will be taking plenty of notes on a round like today and apply what she learned to both the rest of the season and the next 54 holes as she looks to track down more red numbers throughout the next three days in Ohio.
“I was striking the ball really well both off the tee and into the greens. Just felt very comfortable with my swing and didn't have to force anything. I was just having great tempo, so just try and keep that for tomorrow,” Grant said. “It feels really nice because I didn't force anything. Just was smooth out there. I was just enjoying playing and trying to make as many birdies as possible.”
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