Sebastian Soderberg entered the ultimate spherical with an eight-shot lead, sitting at 21-under par and in full management of the DP World Tour’s Volvo Automobile Scandinavian Blended in Sweden.
But it surely all unraveled on Sunday as he lived out a nightmare of epic proportions. He shot a 5-over 77—a spherical that got here nowhere near resembling what he did over the primary three days when he fired a 63 and a pair of 66s.
On the flip aspect, Linn Grant, who starred for Staff Europe finally yr’s Solheim Cup, set the clubhouse lead with a flawless 7-under 65, a spherical that featured seven birdies and no bogies. She completed at 17-under par, having begun the day 11 pictures again of her fellow countryman. She additionally wound up because the winner.
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When Soderberg teed off on the 18th gap, a par-4, Grant nonetheless confronted a one-shot deficit. However since she completed almost 90 minutes earlier, she was warming up on the driving vary, making ready for a playoff if Soderberg made a bogey. On condition that the 18th performed because the second most difficult gap, the Swede had a good probability of dropping one other shot to shut out his depressing spherical.
And but, additional holes appeared unlikely after Soderberg discovered the green off the tee. However then he pushed his second shot into the suitable greenside bunker.
An enormous rainstorm had blanketed the golf course minutes earlier, leaving the turf and sand traps utterly saturated. Consequently, Soderberg’s ball buried within the moist sand, thus giving himself little to no probability at making par.
He then splashed it out to 25 toes, giving himself a slimmer of hope on the victory. However with the greens operating slower due to the rain, he left his par try three toes brief.
After which distress washed over, identical to the epic rain moments earlier than.
Soderberg missed the brief bogey try, as his ball did an entire 180-degree U-turn, thus denying him a chance at a playoff with Grant whereas giving her the victory.
“I’m so shocked,” Grant mentioned after.
“Standing right here, now, as a winner once more in my hometown. Wonderful… Actually, I simply tried to exit at the moment and provides myself a chance. I didn’t even suppose that I had the prospect of profitable—11 pictures is a big hole. So I simply needed to exit, have enjoyable, and make as many birdies as doable.”
No birdie proved greater than her ultimate one of many day, as she chipped in for birdie on the 18th gap. Satirically sufficient, her three to Soderberg’s six proved to be the distinction within the match.
Who might have forecasted that will have been the case, particularly provided that, after Grant chipped in, Soderberg nonetheless held a three-shot lead
“It was unbelievable,” Grant mentioned of her shot.
“I feel I celebrated it ok once I was there. So I’m not wanting again on that wishing it was me on the final gap.”
Unbelievable is the one phrase to explain what transpired on Sunday in Sweden, however historical past was made, too. Together with her unbelievable victory, Grant grew to become the second lady ever to win a DP World Tour occasion. She additionally received this occasion two years in the past.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Make sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
