Linnea Strom from Sweden is the only European golfer to win on the LPGA Tour this season. In June, the 27-year-old secured her first LPGA victory at the Shoprite LPGA Classic. Along with France’s Celine Boutier, Strom is one of only two European players who have won on the tour since the last Solheim Cup.
With the Solheim Cup—a prestigious team event between Europe and the United States—set to take place from September 12-15 in Gainesville, Virginia, one might expect that Strom’s recent success would have caught the attention of the European team’s captain. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
When asked if European captain Suzann Pettersen, also Swedish, had reached out to her since her LPGA win, Strom responded, “Not really.” She admitted she was slightly surprised, given that no European has won this year’s LPGA Tour. Despite this, Strom stays focused on her game, saying, “I’m just trying to focus on what I can do, and that’s playing good golf.”
Although Strom has achieved her first LPGA win, her overall performance this season could have been better. She has missed the cut in 11 out of 18 tournaments and hasn’t secured another top-10 finish. She is ranked No. 107 globally, making her the 18th-highest-ranked European and the fifth-highest-ranked Swede.
Before turning professional, Strom had a lot of success in team competitions. She helped Arizona State win the NCAA Championship in 2017 and played in two Junior Ryder Cups and a Junior Solheim Cup. She was also part of teams that won the Vagliano Trophy and the European Girls Team Championship for Sweden.
Strom started the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews with a solid round, finishing at 1-under 71. She remains hopeful that a strong performance could still earn her a spot on the Solheim Cup team, saying, “I’m just trying to put that in the back of my head, and if I have a good week, then maybe.”
