Lina Boqvist Archives - Golf Digest Middle East

WATCH: Highlights from the Women’s Irish Open

Matt Smith — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 11:36:26 +0000

By Matt Smith
Catch up with al the action at Dromoland Castle from the first round of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open, where Alexandra Swayne and Lina Boqvist shone.

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Swayne and Boqvist lead at Dromoland Castle, with Maguire lurking in Ireland

Matt Smith — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 09:52:40 +0000

Alexandra Swayne. LET

By Matt Smith
Alexandra Swayne and Lina Boqvist both fired opening rounds of 65 to sit at the top of the leaderboard on seven-under on the first day of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

The duo enjoyed the better of the conditions at Dromoland Castle with sunshine all afternoon following the morning’s rainfall.

For LET rookie Swayne, who began her round on the 10th tee, her only bogey of the day came at the 12th before she rolled in four birdies to make the turn in 34 .

Further birdies on the second, fifth, seventh and ninth holes ensured the US Virgin Islands native carded a round of seven-under-par on day one.

“It was a good day,” she said. “I can’t complain at all, it was a good group so that made it easy. I was just seeing shots and hitting them. There was nothing to it and there was nothing special honestly. I just made a lot of putts which helped.

“I actually haven’t been playing my best, but I know going into tournaments to have no expectations and that’s what I had today and that’s quite helpful. I’ve learned that’s what gets me able to have lower rounds.”

While it was a similar story for Sweden’s Boqvist who also started on the 10th tee and rolled in five birdies on her front nine including four consecutively from 15 to 18.

The 31-year-old then dropped her only shot of the day on the second hole before making additional birdies on the third, sixth and seventh holes.

“It was a solid golf round,” said Boqvist. “I played very well. I had a few saves for par and then a lot of birdies, so it was a nice day on the course.”

Three players are in a tie for third place on six-under-par with England’s Annabel Dimmock, Czech Klara Spilkova and France’s Anne-Lise Caudal all shooting rounds of 66.

Seven players are in a tie for sixth place on five-under including home favourite and Solheim Cup star Leona Maguire.

.@leona_maguire wasn't messing about on Day One of @womensirishopen ??#RaiseOurGame | #WIO2022

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) September 22, 2022

The LPGA Tour winner started her day with a bogey at the first before a birdie on the third, but soon dropped another shot with a bogey on fifth.

However, after that the Irishwoman carded three birdies in-a-row on holes six through eight and finished in style with three birdies in her final four holes to be two shots back.

“It was nice that little birdie run on the front for a bit of momentum on six, seven, eight,” said Maguire. “I putted nicely today. I didn’t drive the ball quite as well as I would have liked but overall took advantage of the shorter holes coming in and it was nice to birdie three of the last four.

“It’s been a fantastic venue. The course even after the rain this morning was in great shape and the greens were rolling really nice. I’m looking forward to three more days.

“Anytime you make a few birdies the energy levels always go up. It’s been a busy few weeks, but it’s nice to be back in front of home fans and there’s been a few people around today and it’s nice to get those cheers when you hole a putt or hit a nice shot and it spurs you on a little bit more.”

Maguire sits alongside Sweden’s Elin Arvidsson, England’s Gabriella Cowley, Austria’s Christine Wolf, Dutch star Anne Van Dam, Wales’ Chloe Williams and Scotland’s Michele Thomson.

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Team Jessica Korda triumph in night play-off at the Aramco Team Series – New York after Charley Hull bags solo title

Golf Digest Middle East — Sun, 17 Oct 2021 01:39:11 +0000

Jessica Korda, Alexandra O’Laughlin, Karolin-Lampert and Lina Boqvist celebrate their Aramco Team Series – New York victory.

By Special Correspondent
October 16, 2021: New York lived up to its name as “the city that never sleeps” after it took two-holes of floodlit night-golf to crown Team Jessica Korda Aramco Team Series champions.

A battling captain’s performance powered Team Korda to pole position on the final day of the Aramco Team Series – New York, hours after England’s Charley Hull bagged the tournament’s solo title.

The triumphant fourball – comprising the world No.19, Karolin Lampert (GER), Lina Boqvist (SWE) and amateur Alexandra O’Laughlin – reached a Series low -41 on Saturday afternoon, a score that looked destined to secure the event’s team crown.

But an inspired finish from Team Sophia Popov – featuring the 2020 AIG Women’s Open champion, Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG), Hayley Davis (ENG) and amateur Cody Crowell – forced a playoff at Glen Oaks Club, Long Island – well after the sun had set.

The two captains took to the floodlit 17th tee for a deciding duel, and after both hitting a bogey four first time around, a par from Korda proved the winning moment in what was the Ladies European Tour’s first event on US soil.

Speaking afterwards, Korda said: “It is so nice to share this win with a team. It’s such an individual sport so this is different and really cool.

“Today we really came together, and it was one of our best days, especially on those last six holes. We were just having fun, hyping each other up.”

On the play-off, she explained: “I’ve never played in the dark! I’ve never played under lights! It was so hard to see out there, so I really didn’t know how hard to hit it. I was just praying it was going to be somewhere up there.

“Sophia and I are great friends and playing anything against any of your best friends is tough. But golf is golf and friendship is more important.”

The eventual champions were set a lofty early target by Team Charley Hull – Hull, Annabel Dimmock (ENG), Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA) and amateur Christopher Kirchner – with Hull’s mesmerizing seven-under-par 65 the catalyst to carding a tournament-best final round of -20, taking the team to a -40 total.

Started with four straight birdies, that score – which took Hull to -12 for the week, individually – proved unbeatable in the event’s solo format, bagging the 25-year-old her fourth career title as she finished one better than US world #1, Nelly Korda.

England’s Charley Hull stormed to a seven-under-65 on day three to win the Aramco Team Series – New York individual format.

“I’m delighted,” said Hull, whose last win came in Abu Dhabi back in 2019, and who finished with what proved to be a pivotal birdie on hole 18. “It’s good confidence for the rest of the season. Four birdies to start with was good – I felt like I could have birdied every hole on the front nine today.

“Because of the conditions it was one of the best rounds of my life today, probably ever. The last hole was a tricky shot – it sat down a bit, but I played it perfectly.”

She added: “It’s a really fun event. It’s relaxed. The backing these Aramco Team Series events gets is so important to supporting and growing the game and they are all done really well.”

Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda had held an overnight lead going into the final round of the 54-hole tournament but had to settle for second-place, one behind Hull.

“Obviously I would have loved to have gone away with the win, but I played solid,” said the 23-year-old. “I have stuff I need to work on and improve on, and I’ll go from there.

“It’s a format that allows you to keep it lighter out there. You’re not just playing for yourself but for a team too, so it’s cool.”

The final of four Aramco Team Series events debuting on the LET this year takes place at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City, near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, early next month.

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