Linn Grant holds the trophy after winning the 2024 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed. | Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images
Linn Grant came from 11 shots back to win the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed, which featured the best male and female European players.
Sebastian Soderberg entered the final round with an eight-shot lead, sitting at 21-under par and in complete control of the DP World Tour’s Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden.
But it all unraveled on Sunday as he lived out a nightmare of epic proportions. He shot a 5-over 77—a round that came nowhere close to resembling what he did over the first three days when he fired a 63 and a pair of 66s.
On the flip side, Linn Grant, who starred for Team Europe at last year’s Solheim Cup, set the clubhouse lead with a flawless 7-under 65, a round that featured seven birdies and no bogies. She finished at 17-under par, having begun the day 11 shots back of her fellow countryman. She also wound up as the winner.
Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images
Sebastian Soderberg on the 18th green during the final round of the 2024 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed.
When Soderberg teed off on the 18th hole, a par-4, Grant still faced a one-shot deficit. But since she finished nearly 90 minutes earlier, she was warming up on the driving range, preparing for a playoff if Soderberg made a bogey. Given that the 18th played as the second most challenging hole, the Swede had a decent chance of dropping another shot to close out his miserable round.
And yet, extra holes looked unlikely after Soderberg found the fairway off the tee. But then he pushed his second shot into the right greenside bunker.
A massive rainstorm had blanketed the golf course minutes earlier, leaving the turf and sand traps completely saturated. Consequently, Soderberg’s ball buried in the wet sand, thus giving himself little to no chance at making par.
He then splashed it out to 25 feet, giving himself a slimmer of hope at the victory. But with the greens running slower thanks to the rain, he left his par attempt three feet short.
And then misery washed over, just like the epic rain moments before.
Soderberg missed the short bogey attempt, as his ball did a complete 180-degree U-turn, thus denying him an opportunity at a playoff with Grant while giving her the victory.
“I’m so surprised,” Grant said after.
“Standing here, now, as a winner again in my hometown. Amazing… Honestly, I just tried to go out today and give myself an opportunity. I didn’t even think that I had the chance of winning—11 shots is a huge gap. So I just wanted to go out, have fun, and make as many birdies as possible.”
No birdie proved bigger than her final one of the day, as she chipped in for birdie on the 18th hole. Ironically enough, her three to Soderberg’s six proved to be the difference in the tournament.
Who could have forecasted that would have been the case, especially given that, after Grant chipped in, Soderberg still held a three-shot lead
“It was unbelievable,” Grant said of her shot.
“I think I celebrated it good enough when I was there. So I’m not looking back on that wishing it was me on the last hole.”
Unbelievable is the only word to describe what transpired on Sunday in Sweden, but history was made, too. With her improbable victory, Grant became the second woman ever to win a DP World Tour event. She also won this event two years ago.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
