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 Automotive Scandinavian Blended in Sweden.
However it 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 facet, Linn Grant, who starred for Group Europe finally 12 months’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 an honest likelihood of dropping one other shot to shut out his depressing spherical.
And but, additional holes appeared unlikely after Soderberg discovered the golf green off the tee. However then he pushed his second shot into the best greenside bunker.
A large rainstorm had blanketed the golf course minutes earlier, leaving the turf and sand traps fully saturated. Consequently, Soderberg’s ball buried within the moist sand, thus giving himself little to no likelihood at making par.
He then splashed it out to 25 toes, giving himself a slimmer of hope on the victory. However with the greens working slower due to the rain, he left his par try three toes quick.
After which distress washed over, similar to the epic rain moments earlier than.
Soderberg missed the quick bogey try, as his ball did an entire 180-degree U-turn, thus denying him a possibility at a playoff with Grant whereas giving her the victory.
“I’m so shocked,” Grant stated after.
“Standing right here, now, as a winner once more in my hometown. Superb… Actually, I simply tried to exit right now and provides myself a possibility. I didn’t even assume that I had the prospect of profitable—11 pictures is a big hole. So I simply wished to exit, have enjoyable, and make as many birdies as attainable.”
No birdie proved larger than her remaining one of many day, as she chipped in for birdie on the 18th gap. Paradoxically sufficient, her three to Soderberg’s six proved to be the distinction within the match.
Who may 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 stated of her shot.
“I feel I celebrated it adequate once I was there. So I’m not trying 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. Along with her unbelievable victory, Grant grew to become the second girl ever to win a DP World Tour occasion. She additionally received this occasion two years in the past.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
