Sebastian Soderberg had an eight-shot lead going into the final round at Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed before collapse; Linn Grant becomes first woman to win twice on DP World Tour with win, and shot the best round of the day with seven-under-par 65
Sunday 9 June 2024 18:25, UK
Sebastian Soderberg blew an eight-shot lead in a final-round collapse to hand fellow Swede Linn Grant victory at the Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed in Helsingborg.
Soderberg was looking for a first DP World Tour win since 2019, but carded a five-over-par 77 to see the chance of victory fall from his grasp and leave him finishing a stroke back in tied-second at Vasatorps Golfklubb.
A front-nine wobble saw Soderberg's advantage cut to four strokes at the turn, while further bogeys at the 13th and 15th left him just one ahead of Grant - who had already set the clubhouse target after a bogey-free 65 - heading to the par-four last.
Soderberg found the sand with his approach into the final hole and then three-putted from 25 feet, missing the par putt for victory and then agonisingly lipping out from inside two feet for his next effort, with the closing double-bogey dropping him back to 16 under and gifting Grant a remarkable victory.
"Very mixed emotions," said a stunned Grant. "I feel, honestly, terrible for Sebastian at the moment. I don't even have words for it, I can't imagine how he feels. At the same time, I'm just surprised, so surprised, standing here as a winner again, in my home town - amazing."
Grant, beginning her final round several groups ahead of Soderberg, flew out of the blocks with four birdies in five holes from the second and added another from six feet at the ninth to reach the turn in 31.
The 24-year-old holed from 15 feet at the tenth for a second successive birdies before ending a run of pars on her back nine with a sensational chip-in from off the final green, seeing her close the lowest round of the day and set a clubhouse target that wasn't beaten.
Grant had been preparing for the possibility of extra holes before having her win confirmed by Soderberg's nightmare finish, with victory at the event - which saw 78 men and 78 women compete for one prize fund and one trophy - her second in three years.
"Honestly, I just tried to go out today and give myself the opportunity, added Grant, who became the first player to overturn a 11-stroke deficit on the final round of a DP World Tour event. "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 and make as many birdies as possible.
"It turned out to be an incredible day, I guess. I'm so speechless at the moment, I can't really believe it."
Soderberg's closing 77 meant he finished in a share of second place alongside Scotland's Calum Hill on 16 under, with Swedish Ladies European Tour star Johanna Gustavsson three shots further back in a tie for fourth with Englishmen Alex Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan.
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