Sweden’s Linn Grant ended her first season on the Ladies European Tour (LET) with a high, finishing in third place at the season finale – the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España – and clinching the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol title.
After a full season on the LET, the Race to Costa del Sol title was decided at the final event in Spain with Grant battling alongside friend and compatriot Maja Stark for the number one spot at the end of the 2022 season.
But it was Grant who came out on top and clinched the title accumulating 3,624.91 points from 17 events and ultimately, finishing 209.77 points ahead of Stark with fellow Swede Johanna Gustavsson rounding out the top three.
“I’m very relieved to have beaten Maja, she stressed me out this week and she’s been stressing me out the whole season! I’m very happy to win the Race to Costa del Sol title,” she said.
“It was a pleasure to have been able to play in the Costa del Sol region for the season finale and I would like to thank to Costa del Sol Tourist Board for their support.”
Grant was voted as Players’ Player of the Year by her colleagues in the award ceremony at the end of the season, and the 23-year-old secured LET Rookie of the Year title back in October, and as such is following in the footsteps of Dame Laura Davies, Carlota Ciganda, Esther Henseleit and Atthaya Thitikul by becoming the fifth player to win both titles in the same season.
“It feels so nice to get both titles,” she explained. “Rookie of the Year was a little more straightforward and I knew that was coming but to get this one as well was more of the goal.
“I’m happy to have played well at the last round in Spain and to win it. They’re all great players and they have gone on to have pretty good careers after winning both titles, I hope to continue on their path as well.”
The 23-year-old began the year with a bang winning the Joburg Ladies Open in her first start on the LET since clinching her card at Q-School last December.
From there, Grant recorded two top-10 finishes and one top-15 result but it wasn’t long before she was back in the winner’s circle securing victory at the Mithra Belgian Ladies Open.
After a week of rest, the Swedish star then cemented her name in the history books by triumphing at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed – storming to a nine-shot victory and becoming the first woman to win on the DP World Tour.
Five further top-10 finishes throughout the summer – including at the Amundi Evian Championship – came her way before she won again on home soil, this time at the Skaftö Open to record her fourth victory of the year.
And Grant’s rapid rise in 2022 has seen her climb from 277 up to 24 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.
“I think the Scandinavian Mixed is my standout moment,” she continued. “It was a big event and at home and everything that came with that. Plus, for sure the first title in Joburg because I think that set the standard for the season.
“I think Maja has had an incredible season and I think it’s been a fun season. It was nice to share this moment with her and this season and I think we will hold hands through our whole careers probably. This is huge for Swedish golf, having Johanna [Gustavsson] as well as number three on the rankings.”
The COO of the Costa del Sol Tourist Board, Margarita del Cid, congratulated Linn Grant on her triumph as the winner of Race to Costa del Sol, the culmination of the Ladies European Tour annual schedule.
“This partnership with the LET, and the involvement of the destination in the different international events of the order of merit of the Ladies European Tour is extremely rewarding,” she said. “It is also a clear indication of our support of women’s golf, both at a professional, and amateur level. The Race to Costa del Sol guarantees extensive television and media coverage in markets of particular interest to our destination, which have a high percentage of women golfers, such as Germany, Switzerland, France, U.S.A., Canada, Asia.
“The Costa del Sol Tourist Board has, for many years, promoted the Costa del Golf as the ideal golfing destination and we shall continue to do so. Together with the golf industry, we provide personalised service, carefully adapted to each visitor’s needs, ensuring the perfect holiday experience, at any time of the year.”
She added: “The Costa del Sol has no doubt that the promotion of women’s golf is especially important, given that it is often the lady golfer who spends more in destination, appreciating, and enjoying to the full, all the different attractions that Costa del Sol provides.”
Alexandra Armas, Ladies European Tour CEO, said: “The 2022 Race to Costa del Sol has seen a great battle on the golf course between Linn [Grant] and Maja [Stark] which went all the way down to the season finale on the Costa del Sol. Many congratulations to Linn on clinching the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol title, she is a deserving winner, and we are delighted to present her with the award. In her first full season on Tour, she has won four times and shown her future is very bright and this title is further reward for the hard work she has put in to become a champion. I would like to thank the Costa del Sol Tourist Board for their unwavering support, and we are looking forward to the 2023 season already.”
For more news and information on the Race to Costa del Sol, check out the full final rankings HERE.
