World No.10 Anna Nordvist is the top ranked European golfer globally and she is back in her home continent this week for the Estrella Damm Mediterranean Ladies Open at Club de Golf Terramar in Sitges, Spain.
Nordqvist, a four-time Solheim Cup participant (2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015), has her mind focused on qualifying for the European Solheim Cup team due to take on the United States at Des Moines Golf and Country Club in Iowa in August.
She said: “I’m very happy to be back. I really want a spot on The Solheim Cup team and I want to bring the Cup back to Europe, so it’s good to be here and see the other girls that will hopefully be on the team.”
Nordqvist claimed her seventh individual career win at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup in the USA in March and she has a strong record in Spain, where she played in tournaments for the Swedish national team.
She also won LET Q-School at La Manga Club in Spain in December 2008 and finished second at the 2010 Madrid Ladies Masters before twice winning the Comunitat Valenciana European Nations Cup, partnering Sophie Gustafson in the team event at La Sella Resort in Alicante, in 2010 and 2011.
“I love Spain and I haven’t visited in a couple of years. I was fortunate to play in Spain on the National team, so it reminds me of that kind of golf and what I grew up in. It’s a good golf course and they have some good holes with a lot of trees. It seems like it’s in good shape, so I’m very excited to be here and hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to go into Barcelona because I’ve heard so much about it.”
Anna’s career low round is 61 (-11) recorded in the third round of the LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix in March and in the third round of the 2013 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic in Alabama. The LET’s all-time low 18 holes is 11-under-par, so she would need to 59 (-12) to beat that on the par-71 course this week, where the course record is 63.
She said: “I feel like there can be quite a few birdies made out here. On certain holes, you’ve got to place your drive a little bit off the tee, but definitely your putting is important. With some shorter clubs in, you could give yourself some really good birdie chances, so hopefully my putter can be hot this week.”
