What a difference a week makes for Anna

BY Liz White | LPGA Tour | 2010 LPGA Championship | Preview | 22 Jun 2010

A little over a year ago, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist was just another face in the crowd, watching the stars shoot it out on the USLPGA circuit.

A rookie pro, she had limited playing rights on the world’s richest stage, so had to content herself with watching Lorena and co from the other side of the ropes.

She had secured only four starts in early 2009. But standing among the golfing fans didn’t really faze Nordqvist. At age 21, she knew her day would eventually come.

What she didn’t realise was just how soon it would come.

The following week, Nordqvist was given a start in her first major, the McDonald’s LPGA Championship, and she grabbed the chance and the title by four shots over Australian Lindsey Wright.

“I was very lucky to make it the biggest one, the first one,” she said.

“I think I just appreciated being out there because I had to play my way into the championship.”

“Playing alongside the best players in the world that was something I always dreamed about and then obviously winning and people start calling you Major Champion, you don’t even turn around because you don’t feel like it has hit you.”

Winning a major was certainly something new for the Swede but winning titles was not foreign.

Her amateur career is littered with big achievements including the 2008 British Amateur Championship and runner up at the same tournament in 2006.

In 2008 Nordqvist showed the world her talent by making the cut at the British Open for the second successive year and earning the low amateur award. Later that year she won the Ladies European Tour qualifying school and finished T25th at the LPGA Q school.

Nordqvist is a product of the American College system and was a standout at Arizona State University. She made an immediate impact earning the 2007 National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) Freshman of the Year award. She was also named in the NGCA All American teams in 2007 and 2008. Despite having two years remaining on her Major in interdisciplinary studies and sociology, Nordqvist quit college for the tour.

That’s not to say she was a poor student. She made the All American Academic second team.

“I hate to lose. I was always competitive whether it was cards with my brother or whatever, I want to win,” she said.

“Obviously it is not the end of the world if I lose but I am a perfectionist.”

“Everything I do I want to do well. Even at school I always had good grades even though I was travelling and playing golf a lot.”

Standing next to Nordqvist it is hard to believe she is only 6 feet tall. Her physique is quite imposing causing the petite Lindsey Wright to quip it was like being in the land of the giants when she was paired with the Swede and Britain’s Laura Davies at this year’s Australian Open Championship.

Yet she is not a big hitter despite her large frame and broad shoulders and it is something the recently turned 23-year-old is working on. She believes more time in the gym is the key.

“I think now it has gotten to the point where the fitness is going to help me the most and I am working on a few things with my swing and my fitness will really help that,” she said.

“I have the right people around me and we are working in the right direction and if it is going to click a couple of weeks from now or a couple of months from now it is just heading in the right direction and that is what is most important.”

Nordqvist said she is in no hurry to rack up the titles, yet capturing a major, and the season ending LPGA Tour Championship presented by Rolex, was a fine start in her rookie year.

“Everyone is rushing me you know,” she said.

“But I still feel like I have a lot of years left here so I am just going to take it one year at a time I don’t feel any rush even though I had a good year last year.”

Despite winning twice in her first year on the LPGA it wasn’t enough to earn Nordqvist the rookie of the year title. That honour went to Korean superstar Ji-Yai Shin.

They’re nice titles to win but it’s not what motivates the Swede.

“I really try to stay away from setting result-based goals because you have such tough competition on both the LPGA and LET tours,” she said.

“You can play your best, yet someone can play better and they can beat you so you can’t really do much about whatever everyone else is doing.”

“I won two times last year, obviously I want to win again but you can’t really force it.”

But you can bet she’ll be trying.

“I am a true competitor. Every time I tee it up whether it is a small tournament or if it’s a major I just want to play my best and I hate to lose.”