Apart from the brilliant ball-striking of Anna Nordqivst at Carnoustie, if there’s something to be learnt from the Swede’s third Major victory in the AIG Women’s Open, it’s to never give up.
Nordqvist’s gritty one-shot triumph at one of the world’s toughest links layouts ended a four-year title drought, dating back to her playoff victory in the 2017 Evian Championship. That year, the 34-year-old was diagnosed with mononucleosis, a viral fever that can cause debilitating fatigue.
“The hardest part was basically losing my mental endurance and my physical endurance. It took about three years to get over mono, and I think last year during Covid, I finally had some time to be at home and slow down. My life has always gone at 110 miles an hour,” said Nordqvist.
Despite the illness, Nordqvist continued to eke out results in 2017 aside from the Evian win, and earned a captain’s pick from legendary compatriot Annika Sorenstam for the European Solheim Cup team. Nordqvist won three out of four matches, squaring her singles against Lexi Thompson, but was unable to prevent the Americans winning comfortably at Des Moines in Iowa.
“When things got tough, I could always push it through mentally, but I just never had anything and I just felt really weak. So to be able to build myself back up again and have the support of people around me. I moved back to Arizona a couple years ago and I absolutely love it there. I have a lot of great support there.” noted Nordqvist.
Nordqvist paid tribute to husband Kevin McAlpine, a Scot from nearby Dundee who caddies for Martin Laird on the European Tour. The couple tied the knot in Arizona in March and plan a big wedding next year in Scotland.
“I’m married now and I think just a lot more happy like off the course, so I have a good balance there. I’ve done this long enough now where I feel like you can’t really force anything,” shared Nordqvist.
Nordqvist also endured a period of self-doubt in 2014 when she lost her grandfather, a constant source of inspiration in her early years as a competitive amateur and on tour, to cancer.
“There was times I doubted if I ever would win again, and you know, for it being quite a few years in between victories. I think sitting here now, winning the British Open is a dream I could … I mean, I couldn’t really dream of anything more. It was definitely worth the wait, and definitely worth a lot of those struggles and being able to push through,” she said.
Having won the 2009 Women’s PGA Championship for her maiden Major and first of nine LPGA titles, Nordqvist is now one of 22 women since World War II to have three different Major titles. At Carnoustie, the Swede closed with an excellent 69 for a 12-under-par total, one ahead of England’s Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion, American Lizette Salas and another Swede, Madelene Sagstrom.
Level with Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen at Carnoustie’s notorious closing hole, Nordqvist made a solid par-four which was good enough to triumph as her playing partner slipped to a double bogey. Koerstz Madsen settled for a share of fifth place on 10-under-par with 2021 Amundi Evian Championship winner Minjee Lee of Australia, who closed with a superb 66.
Louise Duncan (L) and Anna Nordqvist (Photo by Warren Little/R&A via Getty Images)
Nordqvist claimed the winner’s cheque of US$870,000 from the US$5.8 million total prize fund, the largest in women’s major championship golf.
With the fans enjoying glorious spells of afternoon sunshine – total attendance for the week was 28,758 – 21-year-old Scot Louise Duncan shone to claim the Smyth Salver for leading amateur. Duncan had raised hopes of a title challenge after making birdie on the first to sit one off the lead, but had to settle for a round of 72 and joint 10th place on seven-under-par.
