NAPLES, Fla. — Nine-time LPGA Tour winner Anna Nordqvist is near the top of the leaderboard at the CME Group Tour Championship after opening her week at Tiburón Golf Club with a 7-under 65 that saw her make one bogey and eight birdies. Nordqvist got off to a hot start, making four birdies in her first seven holes, including a pair of back-to-back birdies on holes 6 and 7 to turn in 32.
She grabbed another birdie on the par-4 10th hole to move to 5-under and picked up two more birdies on Nos. 12 and 14 to get to 7-under overall. The Swede dropped a shot after making bogey on the par-3 16th hole but recovered immediately with a birdie on the par-5 17th hole, parring 18 to post a 65, her lowest round since the final day of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club's Lower Course in June.
It's the second time this season that Nordqvist has opened with a round of 65 or better, and the last time she did so was on Thursday at the Honda LPGA Thailand, where the Swede ultimately finished in a tie for 10th. The 65 is her lowest round in 13 total appearances at the CME Group Tour Championship and ties her second-lowest first-round score on the LPGA Tour.
It's fair to say that the 36-year-old was a bit surprised about how low she went on day one at Tiburón Golf Club as the venue isn't one she's ever felt comfortable at despite recording five top-15 results in her 12 previous starts, most notably finishing solo third here last year. But the course definitely seems to suit her game for one reason or another, and she took full advantage of that fact on Thursday in Naples, Fla.
"I come here every year and I feel like this course doesn't suit me very well, so I don't know what it is," said Nordqvist, whose 65 is her 17th round in the 60s at the CME Group Tour Championship. "I got to play with the commissioner in the pro-am this week and she asked me, do you love this course? I said, well, maybe it doesn't set up well for me, but I know I had a great round Sunday last year. Overall, you got to hit a lot of good shots. I feel like it's a ball striking course and maybe that's why it suits me."
This year has been an incredibly challenging one for the major champion. On top of dealing with some health issues, Nordqvist's former partner Kevin McAlpine passed away unexpectedly on October 19 while she was in the Republic of Korea for the BMW Ladies Championship, from which she ultimately withdrew. Even though she hasn't shared many specifics of what exactly she's been going through, Nordqvist has courageously been open about the struggles she's been facing off the golf course and how challenging it's been for her throughout 2023.
"I've been honest with everyone. I'm not doing very well," Nordqvist said. "It's been a fight, but I wanted to come here, do it for myself, show that I'm a fighter. At the end of the day I'm only human, and I'm going to take extended time off after this. I haven't seen my family the last couple weeks because I've been in the U.S., but three more days and I get to see my dog again and, try to rebuild."
Some might question Nordqvist's choice to compete these last two weeks with everything that she has got going on away from the game. But she's always been someone to tackle adversity head-on, having dealt with more illness and injury in her 15-year career than most of her counterparts, and her decision to tee it up this week at the CME Group Tour Championship is just the latest testament to Nordqvist's resiliency, further evidence of just how strong the Swede really is when life gets tough.
"Knowing that I'm a fighter, and I never give up, I didn't want to wait until February to tee it up again. Felt like I needed to get back to work. Like you got to start somewhere," said Nordqvist. "Seeing everyone, surrounding myself with all the other players and caddies and everyone has been so supportive. I think that's exactly what I need right now. I think I'm leaning on everyone out here to just push me through.
"I'm proud of myself. Felt like just getting to go to the first tee this week was a victory itself. If I can be an inspiration to others to keep fighting, there are always things going on, and as much as we want life to be smooth sailing, it's really not. But I fell many times in life before and pride myself in getting back every single time. I'm going to keep pushing and a little bit of a break is going to do my good. I hope to be back feeling better next year."
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