ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – The one European winner on the LPGA this season to this point?
That might be Sweden’s Linnea Strom.
The 27-year-old Strom gained the Shoprite LPGA Traditional again in early June and together with France’s Celine Boutier are the one Europeans to have gained on the tour since final 12 months’s Solheim Cup.
With the biennial staff occasion switching to even-numbered years, the Solheim Cup will once more happen this Sept. 12-15 in Gainesville, Virginia. And with an abbreviated qualifying interval, it might make sense that Strom is not less than on the radar.
Solely it doesn’t appear that means.
“Not likely,” Strom mentioned Thursday on the AIG Girls’s Open when requested if European captain – and fellow Swede – Suzann Pettersen had reached out to her since Strom’s maiden LPGA triumph.
“Perhaps [surprised] a little bit bit. There haven’t been different Europeans successful on the LPGA this 12 months, so I used to be perhaps anticipating that. However I do know it’s a fast turnaround with Solheim being final 12 months … making an attempt to concentrate on what I can do, and that’s play good golf.”
Aside from her win, nonetheless, Strom admittedly hasn’t carried out how she would’ve preferred. She has missed 11 of 18 cuts this 12 months, doesn’t personal one other top-10 end and is ranked No. 107 on this planet rankings, which makes her 18th highest-ranked European – and fifth-ranked Swede.
Previous to turning professional, Strom had tons of staff success. She helped Arizona State to the 2017 NCAA Championship. She additionally performed two Junior Ryder Cups and a Junior Solheim Cup whereas additionally being part of a pair of Vagliano Trophy-winning squads and representing Sweden in two victorious European Women Staff Championship showings.
On Thursday at St. Andrews, Strom opened in 1-under 71.
“I’m simply making an attempt to place that at the back of my head,” Strom added, “and if I’ve an excellent week then perhaps.”
