For the third time in her career, Anna Nordqvist of Eskilstuna, Sweden has won a major championship. On Sunday, Nordqvist won the 2021 Women’s British Open from Carnoustie, Scotland by shooting a four-round score of -12.
Nordqvist defeated England’s Georgia Hall, fellow Swede Madeleine Sagstrom, and American Lizette Salas by a stroke. Nordqvist shot back-to-back rounds of one-under-par 71 over the first two rounds, before a sensational third round score of seven-under-par 65, and a fourth round score of three-under-par 69. Hall had the lead after the second round at -7.
Nordqvist also has the distinction of winning three different majors in three different countries in three different decades. Her previous majors came at the 2009 McDonald’s LPGA Championship in Havre de Grace, Maryland, United States, where she beat Australian Lindsey Wright by four strokes, and then the 2017 Evian Championship in France, where she beat Brittany Altomare of the United States in a playoff, after shooting -9.
Nordqvist became the sixth golfer all-time to win a women’s golf major in three different decades according to Kevin Reid of Pro Golf Weekly. The first five were American. Patty Berg of Minneapolis, Minnesota won 15 majors from 1937 to 1958. Sandra Haynie of Fort Worth, Texas won four majors from 1965 to 1982. Donna Caponi of Detroit, Michigan won four titles from 1969 to 1981. Amy Alcott of Kansas City, Missouri won five titles from 1979 to 1981, and Juli Inkster of Santa Cruz, California won seven titles from 1984 to 2002. Nordqvist is not only the first non-American to accomplish the feat, she is also the first golfer among the six to win in three different countries.
