Linn Grant claim her second Scandinavian Mixed title in the most unlikely circumstances after a devastating collapse from Sebastian Soderberg in the final round.
Soderberg’s sole DP World Tour victory came almost five years ago at the Omega European Masters. However, heading into his final round, an end to that winless streak seemed almost inevitable for the Swede as he held an eight-shot lead in his homeland.
Any thoughts that it would be a procession on the final day of the unique mixed event that featured both DP World Tour and LET players were quickly put to one side, though. The credit for that goes to another Swede, Grant, although she was hardly in contention as her final round began.
Grant began the day at Vasatorps Golfklubb 11 shots behind Soderberg, but it didn’t take her long to set about her business with birdies on the second and third holes.
Grant then claimed more back-to-back birdies, this time on the fifth and sixth then ninth and 10th, while another birdie on the 18th with a classy chip-in completed a bogey free round.
Did you expect anything else?!Linn Grant finishes with a chip-in 🔥#VolvoScandinavianMixed pic.twitter.com/r2zT4k8hDbJune 9, 2024
Even then, she headed back to the clubhouse with only an outside chance of the title, but by that time, Soderberg’s fortunes were heading firmly in the other direction.
Rounds of 63, 66 and 66 had appeared to leave the 33-year-old within touching distance of his second DP World Tour win with an eight-shot lead over nearest challenger Calum Hill at the start of the day.
It appeared to be business as usual over the first few holes too, with two pars followed by his first birdie of the day on the third.
However, soon it began going wrong, with back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth, albeit partially offset by another birdie on the seventh. The next bogey wasn’t far behind, though, coming on the eighth, and two more followed on the 13th and 15th as his huge lead fell to just two.
By the time Soderberg reached the final hole, he had just a one-shot lead after missing a long birdie putt on the 17th that would have given him much-needed breathing space. Still, with only a par needed, the destiny of the title was still very much in his hands.
Worryingly, though, he found the bunker to the right of the green with his second shot on the par-4 18th, and though he reached the green with his third, he still faced a putt of over 25 feet to make par and take the title. He failed to do so, leaving him a bogey putt from around a foot to force a playoff.
By that point, Grant was back on the range preparing for what must have seemed an inevitability, but incredibly, Soderberg’s bogey putt lipped out, and he had to settle for runner-up after a 77.
Following the drama, a shocked Grant’s thoughts turned to Soderberg. She said: “Just very mixed emotions. I feel honestly terrible for Sebastian at the moment.”
When the dust settles, she will no doubt take satisfaction from her second title at the event in her hometown of Helsingborg, but the fact it took the biggest-ever comeback on the final day of DP World Tour history to achieve it tells its own story about how unlikely that was at the start of the day.
For Soderberg, the events of the day will be acutely painful, particularly as it came just a month after he held a three-shot overnight lead into the final round of the Volvo China Open before eventually losing to Adrian Otaegui.
Now, he must surely be wondering what he needs to do to overcome the mental battle and secure his next victory.
