PLAYER DIARIES: LINN GRANT RECAPS REMARKABLE 2022

Linn Grant kicks off our brand new player diary series by recapping her remarkable 2022 on the Ladies European Tour (LET), a debut season which saw the 23-year-old Swede win four titles, be crowned LET Rookie of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and top the Race to Costa del Sol…

Last year hasn’t sunk in yet, and I don’t think it ever will. I just played my game and had a really good season. Everything that’s come with it, the trophies and exemptions have just added to what I thought was possible. Everyone keeps asking me how do you feel, and I keep saying I feel the same as I did a year ago! I don’t want to forget about it because it’s always nice to do well, but on the other hand, I can’t be stuck thinking about what happened last year.

I think winning in Joburg was a great start. Then playing the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed and winning was such a crazy experience. I think that’s one of those moments I dreamed of when I was younger. So that was just really cool. Winning at home again at Skaftö was also really nice. I love playing at home and I think it always brings a good momentum.

I’d say I’m a home person. I didn’t think I was before, but since travelling so much over the last few years I feel more comfortable at home, like I can be myself without anyone judging me. I feel like since taking the step from amateur to professional, the professional me becomes more about me in my job. Then whenever I’m home I feel like I can be the private me again which is really important.

When it comes to success, I’m more motivated with the process of golf, getting my goals ticked off, and than collecting trophies. Even in the Scandinavian Mixed, if someone would have passed me and I’d have ended up second or third, I still would have been very happy with the week. I always try to look at it that way rather than being super overwhelmed with everything.

I think it would be tough and very difficult if I was stuck thinking about trophies and all of that. I’m very good at appreciating wins. The day after a win I’m always celebrating in my way and feeling emotionally complete, so when the next week comes I don’t feel like I should have stayed in that moment for a bit longer and cherished it a bit more. Maybe I just don’t show it on Instagram or whatever!

My dad, brother, and Pontus have caddied for me on and off which has been really nice. I think that’s why it’s been easy to transition from being an amateur and not having to have someone new on the bag that I didn’t know. My dad helps me out a lot with everything that goes on behind the scenes. Not just financially, but also with my schedule, booking flights and hotels and everything like that so I can just play golf which is so nice.

I’ve started to realise can you imagine having to do that all by yourself? And the players who do still play well every week, which is so impressive because I would probably quit after a year if I had to do that all by myself!

I’m not going to miss out speaking about my mum. She has a big part in my success as well. Whenever I’m home, or whenever I’m going out to play, she’s the first one and the last one I always talk to. She’s the person I talk to more about my private self, my feelings and what happens outside of golf.

I don’t remember the first time I played golf. My dad played when I was growing up and I used to go out on the course with him. At the beginning I was just riding the buggy and having ice cream. My home course is right by the water so would used to go and swim, basically all her stuff that doesn’t include golf at all!

My grandfather, who passed away before I started playing golf, was a great coach. It’s not as if I feel like I have golf in my blood, but it’s really nice to hear from people that he used to be a coach. I would never change my home club because it’s such a big part of my family history.

I’ve tried pretty much every sport. I used to ride horses for a really long time. So I still try to go whenever I can. I’d love to one day live in the countryside, not far away from the city, and have a farm. I don’t know which animals exactly but I would have, but a bit of everything I guess!

I was really looking forward to turning pro during my last year of college. After graduating it was so nice to just think about myself and what I wanted to do and how I wanted to dress today. Stuff like that.

I like the feeling of pressure and having to prove myself. I remember talking to Maria Fassi, and she was saying that it doesn’t matter how good you are as an amateur. The second you turn pro no one will care anymore. And that really stuck with me. I saw that as competition, and obviously, it worked.

My goal last season was never to win the Race to Costa del Sol. I had no idea how good I need to play to win that. I didn’t even think about that. And then I think Maja [Stark] starting off the season really well and being ahead of me from the start, I thought you know what, I can do the same thing, because we’ve always gone through our amateur careers knowing that if she can do something, I can do the same thing. So that made it very easy and comfortable to go on the chase a little bit.

It was very nice when I went past her after the Scandinavian Mixed. But I didn’t really pay much attention to the Order of Merit until after the break. I don’t think either of us gave it much thought until the last week.

Then I said something like, yeah, I’m really going to win this. Then I think she realised that I finally saw this as a competition. So I think after that, she was like, okay, come on. And yeah, it turned out to be quite fun!