Hosts Henrik Stenson and Annika Sörenstam lead the Swedish charge on home soil at this week’s Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.
Last year’s tournament saw Sörenstam tee it up in Sweden for the first time in 13 years and since then she went on to win the 2021 U.S. Senior Women’s Open, while Stenson has recently been named captain of Team Europe ahead of next year’s Ryder Cup in Italy.
There are 31 Swedes in the field, but it is the tournament hosts who are looking forward to having crowds at the event – after last year’s spectator gallery was restricted due to the pandemic.
“It’s great to be back home playing in Sweden and the sun is out, hopefully big crowds,” said Stenson. “That would be the one big difference that we really missed last year at the first event.
“We couldn’t have crowds due to the pandemic, so really looking forward to playing in front of the Swedish crowds again. It was a success last year and we had a lot of fun, so I’m excited to get going again for the second time.”
The Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed is a co-sanctioned event between the LET and DP World Tour and it sees 78 men and 78 women playing for the same prize fund of US $2 million and one trophy.
And Sörenstam, who played at last week’s U.S. Women’s Open, is delighted to be back at Halmstad Golf Club, which hosted the 2007 Solheim Cup.
“I am super excited to be here, you know this is one of the nicest places in Sweden and you know Halmstad Golf Club has been hosting some big championships throughout the years,” she said.
“To be here for the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed is a big deal and to be here hosting with Henrik, and this year we get to have some fans, so we are ready to party.
“It is a beautiful setting, and it is all about precision here, especially off the tee it can get a bit narrow, but the course is in great shape.
“When we played the Solheim Cup here in 2007 it was in the fall, we had rain and wind and it was freezing so I am hoping for different conditions, more summer conditions, but it is one of those courses where you play well it is quite fair, so I think the scoring will be quite good unless we see some wind and rain.
“It’s great to be here. Obviously, this is a tough competition, some of the best European players on the men’s and women’s side but I feel pretty good about my game. I just want to have a good time, play the best I can and be a good hostess.”
Stenson is playing alongside Peter Hanson, who is competing in his final event, and 2022 Race to Costa del Sol leader Maja Stark and the 22-year-old is excited to tee it up alongside an icon of the game.
“I wouldn’t say I know Henrik, I talked to him last year because I was always playing in the group either behind or in front of him. I’m very excited, he is known for being funny so I’m looking forward to that,” the three-time LET winner explained.
While another young Swedish star Linn Grant, who has won twice on the LET in 2022, will play alongside Sörenstam.
“I guess it will be quite scary actually,” Grant said. “I have never seen her play and never played with her before, I have met her a couple of times. It will be interesting and I’m sure there will be a lot of people watching.”
Ryder Cup star Alex Noren has two worldwide top tens so far this season and is hoping a strong home contingent can lift the crowds and inspire him to a third DP World Tour title on home soil.
“I hope it will be a good atmosphere,” he said. “There are a lot of Swedes to root for and that is the fun thing. You know at some Majors we aren’t many but here you have a lot.
“It has been good. It is tough to win and there are a lot of good players. You know the chances I have had I have fallen a little short, there is always somebody, but if I can tidy a few things up and get the confidence back… I think confidence is a huge thing.
“If you have confidence you can play with anything, if you don’t have the confidence it is tough, so I am sort of trying to fix a few things to get my confidence going.”
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