DREAMS SWEDE

Anna Nordqvist tells us about her thrilling 2021, which included victory in the AIG Women’s Open and Solheim Cup success

- MARK TOWNSEND

If ever Europe had a lucky charm it would be Anna Nordqvist. Back in 2013 the Swede hit the opening tee shot at the Solheim Cup in Colorado and, three days later, the visitors would claim their first victory on American soil. Eight years later Nordqvist was the safe pair of hands on Inverness Club’s unique 1st tee as she led Europe off and, against the odds once again, the visitors retained the famous trophy.

If this year’s Ryder Cup taught us anything it was that winning away in the States – with no visiting support – is a formidable task, but Catriona Matthew’s side led throughout. In the middle of it all was the three-time Major champion and comfortably Europe’s most experienced player, Nordqvist.

“I asked Mat [Matilda Castren] and she said she’d be happy if I hit the first tee shot!” Nordqvist recalls. “In 2013 I had so much adrenaline I hit it a good 25 yards further. This year it was a good set-up for me to take the odds and I didn’t miss the middle of the fairway. When it’s raining outside or I’m tired and don’t want to practise, I will always think of those moments. When I’m done playing eventually, they will be the moments that I will look back on.”

Next time around, Europe will have a new skipper at the helm, with Matthew ruling herself out of a third straight stint. They will certainly have some pretty big shoes to fill after the Scot and her team pieced together one of the greatest ever European wins.

“This was one of the best teams we’ve had in terms of personalities and players being in form,” Nordqvist says. “We easily had 14 to 15 girls to choose from which is quite unheard of; usually the last couple of players are picked to find fits for pairings.