Linn Grant: Hello World!
Like Arnold and Tiger, Grant will do for the LPGA what they did for the PGA
This 24 year old Swedish golfer will be to the LPGA what Tiger Woods was to the PGA. This exciting golfer, who was the first woman ever to win a DP World Tour event, just won her first LPGA event, and she won it with authority. "A new star is born on the LPGA Tour, and her name is Linn Grant," said Golf Channel commentator Kelly Tilghman. Three behind in second was Allisen Corpuz, recent winner of the Women's U.S. Open, to give you an idea of the competition. With a six shot lead going into the final round, Grant played solid, steady golf, fairways and greens, for the most, key par putts, only one bogey, one cool customer.
I have a hunch about Linn Grant: Given her golf skills, given her steady demeanor, given her drive to win, given her personal goals and expectations, she will develop into a powerhouse that will fuel the LPGA into higher visibility, higher media coverage, higher corporate interest, and, importantly, much higher purses. These, of course, all resulted with the PGA with the advent and success of Tiger Woods.
I grew up in the era of Arnold and Jack, and saw the effect they had on the game. Palmer's success inspired me to take up the game within a family that was far more obsessed with the other major sports. My Dad, in fact, was so frustrated with golf that he gave me his entire set to get me started. My brother, Hank, was a skilled basketball player who scrimmaged with Wilt Chamberlain. But Arnold Palmer was enough of a role model to influence me to drop the other sports, for the most part, and dedicate my teen years to learning the game.
Linn Grant, I believe, will do the same for girls and women now, in the U.S. and in Europe. And that will be as good for golf as what Arnold and Tiger did for boys and men in their eras.
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I'm also quite impressed with Allisen Corpuz. Linn and she are good friends, and she played with Linn during the Swede's amazing 62 in the third round of the Dana event, showing much class by complimenting Linn and predicting her win if she continued to play as consistently. Allison has a quieter personality but her golf skills are near as impressive as Linn's. Perhaps there's another Big Three blossoming as with Palmer, Nicklaus, and Gary Player back in the day. There's Nelly Korda. There's Jin Young Ko. There's Sei Young Kim. There's Charley Hull. There’s Minjee Lee. There are any number of great players who could drive the engines of women's golf.
But as with Arnold and Tiger, Linn Grant will lead the way. Mark my words.
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Just to remind you of two golf books of mine that will be of interest in improving your game: The Mindful Golfer: How to Lower Your Handicap While Raising Your Consciousness and Golf 360: For Current Players and Those Considering the Game.
I'm not gonna argue. Can't. She's the Real Deal. And Rory birdies on the last two holes of the Scottish Open were also Real Deal stuff.