MAJOR
AIG Women's Open
Nordqvist Earns Third Major at Women’s Open
Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist scored a narrow one-shot victory at the AIG Women’s Open in Scotland. The 34-year-old owns three major championships adding the coveted title earned at Carnoustie Golf Links to the 2009 LPGA Championship and the 2017 Evian Championship. The tour veteran is the only non-American woman to have won major championships in three different decades. She became the 22nd women since WWII to win more than two different major titles.
Nordqvist produced rounds of 71, 71, 65 and 69 on the famous Scottish Links layout to reach 12-under for her first win on the LPGA Tour in four years. Her final round included four birdies and one bogey. Nordqvist enjoyed three unanswered birdies on her outward nine to move from 9-under at the start of the final round to 12-under at the turn. After making a bogey at the 12th hole, she produced a bounce-back birdie at the 14th hole and closed with four consecutive pars to remain at the magical 12-under.
Three players finished at 11-under and in a tie for second place—Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom, England’s Georgia Hall and America’s Lizette Salas.
Sagstrom was at 12-under playing the 72nd hole. The 28-year-old, who qualified for one of the two Swedish spots at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, made a costly bogey at the final hole. Sagstrom signed for a final round 4-under 68.
Hall, who won the Women’s Open in 2018, fired an impressive 5-under 67 on Sunday. The 25-year-old’s stunning round included two eagles.
Salas, aged 32, carded a bogey-free 3-under 69. It was her second runner up performance at the Women’s Open after she finished one shot behind Japan’s Hinako Shibuno in 2019. And, it was her second runner up effort at a major this season after she ran second to Nelly Korda at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Australia’s Minjee lee and Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen finished one shot further back at 10-under to share fifth place. Lee, who won her maiden major title at the Evian Championship in July, produced the best round on the final day with a 6-under 66. The 25-year-old was one shot off the pace playing the final hole but stumbled with a bogey at the 72nd. Madsen, aged 26, was the only player in the field to reach 13-under at one point during the event. The one-time winner of the LET Tour led the field after a birdie at the 14th hole pushed her to 13-under. Madsen was unable to maintain her advantage and dropped a shot at the 15th hole before ending her hopes for victory with a double bogey at the final hole.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda opened the event with promise posting a superb 5-under 67 on Day One. The 23-year-old, who claimed her maiden major title this year, was unable to threaten for the lead over the weekend and finished at 6-under and in a tie for 13th place.
Final Scores
AIG Women’s Open
1. Anna Nordqvist -12
T2. Madelene Sagstrom -11
T2. Lizette Salas -11
T2. Georgia Hall -11
T5. Minjee Lee -10
T5. Nanna Koerstz Madsen -10
T7. Patty Tavatanakit -9
T7. Leonie Harm -9
Other Australians
T13. Stephanie Kyriacou -6
T34. Su Oh -1
T48. Hannah Green +2
MC. Whitney Hillier
MC. Katherine Kirk
MC. Sarah Kemp
MC. Kirsten Rudgeley (a)
Photo credit: Charlie Crowhurst/R&A/R&A via Getty Images
