Anna Nordqvist sat at 6-over and needed a birdie to play into the weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Despite needing 35 putts to get around the Lower Course at Baldusrol Golf Club on Friday, he found the birdie he needed on the 7th green and birdied the par-3, 9th hole to finish at 5 over. – Finish and cut the number.
It was all Nordqvist needed to get his game back on track. On Sunday — two days later — the Swede shot a 6-under total, good enough to finish third at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
„It’s my fifth week in a row and I feel like I’ve been burning the edges for four and a half weeks,” Nordqvist told the media on Sunday. “It was nice to finally see some putts go at the weekend.
„I’d say it’s been a frustrating couple of weeks on the greens. Don’t think I’ve necessarily sounded that bad. I’m hitting good putts; they’re not dropping. I think the last time to chip that putt when it matters most – I don’t know if it lit a little spark in me – but „Certainly the last couple of days, making those crucial putts. The difference.”
In fact, Nordqvist’s putter was the only club in the bag that made a difference in his game, and it may have been the catalyst for his improved scores as everything he did from tee to green was consistent. In the first and second rounds, the 36-year-old hit 33 and 35 putts, respectively, but on Saturday and Sunday, Nordqvist made quick work of the Baldusroll golf club, needing only 27 and 28 putts, respectively.
Nordqvist’s T3 finish was his best performance of the season and the first time he’s come close to lifting the trophy. Before Sunday, he had not finished in the top 10, finishing 10th at the Honda LPGA Thailand and ninth at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play presented by MGM Rewards.
Last season, Nordqvist notched just two top-10s and didn’t record a top-five finish until the final event of the season, a lone third-place finish coming at the CME Group Tour Championship. Now, she hopes finishing so early in the season will build momentum going forward.
„We’ve had a busy summer,” Nordqvist said. “I don’t usually play five in a row, so I’m a little nervous. But to end on a good note is very exciting. I guess that tells me I’m doing the right thing.
„It’s been a lot for me this spring, but I’m just trying to keep fighting and do my best every day. Every day I have a lot of supportive people around me to keep fighting and do my best because that’s all I can do. That’s the goal I’m taking into the summer: Work hard. , you never know when it will pay off.
It’s going to be a very busy summer indeed for Nordqvist, and some good vibes from his finish this week will certainly go a long way. Aside from the final three majors to come and the tournaments in between, Nordqvist is preparing for the Solheim Cup as a co-captain…and playing with confidence.
„I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Nordqvist said of the biennial tournament between Europe and the United States. „I’m very lucky to be chosen as vice-captain this year. I love Suzanne (Peterson), she’s awesome. She’s one of my closest friends, and being vice-captain under her is great.” True respect.
„But I want to play it. All my family is coming. My nieces and nephews haven’t actually seen me play, so they’re really excited for the opportunity. I think they’ve planned a lot in terms of their costumes. They missed ’21, so I think they’ve saved a lot of energy for this. .
If she’s lucky, the summer sun will keep Nordqvist’s putter red so she can put on a show for her family at Finca Cortezín in September.