The Scottish connection to Anna Nordqvist’s win at Carnoustie

Louise Duncan (left) of Scotland won the Smyth Salver for being the leading amateur at the Women’s Open in Scotland last month. She poses alongside the tournament’s winner Anna Nordqvist of Sweden. Photo credit: David Cannon R&A via Getty Images.

Anna Nordqvist is from Sweden and lives in the United States but there was a very strong Scottish connection to her victory in the Women’s Open at Carnoustie in Scotland last month.

Nordqvist, 34, was virtually handed victory on the last hole when her main opponent Nanna Koerstz Madsen of Denmark, playing in the same group, shanked a difficult bunker shot which led to a double bogey.

Nordqvist and Koerstz Madsen shared the lead at 12 under par as they teed off at the 18th hole on the final day but Nordqvist had the luxury of a tap-in par for victory after Koerstz Madsen’s blunder.

Nordqvist’s caddie Paul Cormack is from Scotland and the golfer’s husband Kevin McAlpine is from Dundee, about a 20-minute drive from Carnoustie.

McAlpine is a former top amateur golfer. He won the 2006 Scottish Amateur and is now caddying on the PGA Tour in the United States.

He said earlier in the year it was perhaps best he did not caddie for his wife.

“I think Anna and I know it isn’t a great idea to have a working relationship,” McAlpine said.

“Not that it wouldn’t work, more that our personal relationship is more important and takes priority. If she was stuck and I wasn’t working, I would be more than happy to fill in.”

Nordqvist’s win was her third in a major championship. The previous two were the LPGA Championship in the United States in 2009 and the Evian Championship in France in 2017.

Nordqvist ignited her final day round with three birdies in four holes between holes six and 10 before a key par three save at the testing 16th. 

A host of challengers mounted their bid on a star-studded leaderboard during a dramatic final day, most notably Englishwoman Georgia Hall, the 2018 winner, who eagled both the sixth and 12th holes in her last round score of 67. 

First prize in the tournament was $US870,000, which is about $NZ1.2 million. 

Total prizemoney was $US5.8 million to make it the world’s richest women’s golf tournament and $US1.3 million more than the previous year. It has been announced that next year’s Women’s Open, to be held at Muirfield in Scotland, will increase to $US6.8 million.

Nordqvist’s victory in the 2017 Evian Championship had been her previous win and she said the last four years had been tough she did not give up.

``There's just something about golf 
that keeps driving me, Nordqvist said.

``I hate losing probably more than I
 like winning. I think all the controversy and all the downs, 
and having my caddie and husband there pushing me
every day being a rock; I hate to give up.

``I feel like things have been coming together, and I saw a
 lot of good things coming last year and a lot of good things
 happening this year. To be able to get things clicking; I felt
like last week at The Scottish Open, I played really well. I
hit the ball really well in that wind. So I think that was a
confidence boost for me.’'

One of the highlights of the tournament was the performance of Scottish amateur Louise Duncan. The 21-year-old finished 10th at seven under par with rounds of 68, 73, 68 and 72 and earned her the Smyth Salver as the tournament’s leading amateur.

Smyth Salver winners include major champions Michelle Wie West (2005), Nordqvist (2008), Danielle Kang (2011), Lydia Ko (2012, 2013) and Georgia Hall (2013).

Ko, from New Zealand, finished 29th at two under par with rounds of 72, 71, 72 and 71. Her prizemoney was nearly $US45,000 ($NZ65,000).