Sun Devil Women's Golf legend Linn Grant's professional career is off to a tremendous start. She enjoyed one of the most memorable Rookie seasons in recent memory, establishing herself as one of the top up-and-coming female golfers in the World. Big things are expected out of her as the new LET campaign gets underway and Sun Devil Nation will be following along the way. From the trophies, to the prize money, to the history-making moments, take a look back at all of Linn Grant's success this season.
LET TOUR WINS
Joburg Ladies Open (3/26/22)
Mithra Belgian Ladies Open (5/29/22)
Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed (6/12/22)
Skaftö Open (8/28/22)
Grant added two other wins in 2022 on the Sunshine Ladies Tour.
Dimension Data Ladies Challenge (2/13/22)
Jabra Ladies Classic (2/25/22)
RACE TO COSTA DEL SOL CHAMPION
By virtue of finishing with 3,624.91 points, Linn Grant won the Race to Costa Del Sol, becoming the LET Tour Champion. She accomplished this feat despite playing in only 17 of 34 LET events. Grant became the first Sun Devil to win the title since Carlota Ciganda in 2012. The title also came with a $150,000 bonus.
"Linn's success is a reflection of how we aspire and strive to prepare our student-athletes for professional life," Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked. "The two years she had with us really dialed her in and got her ready. I think that speaks a lot to what we do and how we prepare our athletes."
PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR
The LET Tour gives out a Players' Player of the Year, which is voted on by the members of the tour. Linn Grant was selected by her peers as the top golfer on the tour this season. She completed her initial professional season with four LET wins and 13 Top-10 finishes. Grant became the first Sun Devil to receive this award since Carlota Ciganda in 2012. She collected over $450,000 in prize money on the LET in 2022. Grant is currently the No. 24 in the latest Rolex World Golf Rankings.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Grant took the LET Tour by storm in her first season, dominating the competition. Not only did she win Player of the Year and the individual championship, she was also named Rookie of the Year. She becomes the fourth Sun Devil to earn the distinction, joining Carlota Ciganda (2012), Anna Nordqvist (2009), and Pearl Sinn (1990). Grant is now one of only four golfers in LET Tour history (since 1979) that won the Championship as a rookie. Two of the four to accomplish it are Sun Devils, as Carlota Ciganda did it back in 2012.
HISTORY MADE ON DP WORLD TOUR
In a field with 156 professional male and female golfers, Grant took home the title in her home country of Sweden. She is the first female golfer in the 50-year history of the European Tour (now named the DP World Tour) to win an event.
Her victory at the Volvo Cars Scandinavian Mixed event on Sunday was in dominant fashion, winning by nine strokes after an 8-under 64 in the final round at Halmstad Golf Club. She finished 14 strokes ahead of the next best woman, Gabriella Cowley, who placed tied for 15th.
Coach Farr-Kaye's reaction to the victory: "We are all thrilled to see Linn make history on the DP Tour being the first woman to win against men on the professional level. Linn had a tremendous impact on our program during her time at ASU. She is a fierce competitor and terrific young lady. We could not be happier for Linn and can not wait to see what she accomplished next on the world stage!"
FUTURE LPGA STAR
It won't be long before Linn Grant is joining other Sun Devil greats on the LPGA Tour. She is already familiar with the circuit, having played in five LPGA major championships and nine total LPGA events. She earned her first Top-10 at a Major at the 2022 Evian Championship, finishing tied for eighth. Grant also finished in the Top-20 at the Women's British Open that year.
COACH'S CORNER
"I am in no way surprised by how great a year Linn Grant had," Sun Devil Women's Golf Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye remarked. "I am not sure I have ever seen anybody more ready to turn pro. It is so clear in her mind what she wants to do, how she wants to do it, and what she needs to do to get there. The sacrifices and discipline required. She is a terrific example of how to prepare for being a professional golfer. If professional golf were a class, not only would Linn have made an A+, she would have taught part of the class. She just functions at a different level. It looks like she is having a great time and that is how it is supposed to be."
Two-time First Team All-American Linn Grant made the most of her time in Tempe, putting together one of the best two-year careers of any player in NCAA history. The native of Viken, Sweden came to Arizona State as a highly-touted recruit and immediately lived up to the expectations. After completing one of the best freshman seasons by a Sun Devil, Grant managed to build upon that with a brilliant sophomore season.
It was a breakout sophomore season that cemented her legacy as one of the all-time greats. She reached the No. 1 spot in the Golfstat Rankings heading into the 2021 NCAA Championship, the first in program history to do so. The two-time WGCA Player of the Year candidate and 2021 ANNIKA Finalist was the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month in March of 2021 and a First Team All-Conference selection this past year. She led Arizona State to their second Match Play appearance in program history at the 2021 NCAA Championships, with the Sun Devils finishing tied for fifth, the highest finish since the 2017 National Championship run.
The consistency shown by Grant was a big reason why she racked up so many accolades, as she finished in the Top-10 in 12 of 16 career events. At the 2021 Clover Cup, Grant became only the second Sun Devil in program history to win four consecutive tournaments, a streak that dated back to a win last season at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational. She joined Brandie Burton from the legendary 1989-90 season, which resulted in Arizona State's first women's golf NCAA Championship. In that span, Grant also won the Bruin Wave Invitational and Sun Devil Winter Classic, putting her in elite company with three wins in a single-season.
Under the tutelage of Head Coach Missy Farr-Kaye and Associate Head Coach Michelle Estill, Grant thrived like many European players to recently come through the Sun Devil program. The relationship and bond that was built with the coaching staff was a key reason why Grant decided to come to ASU and improve her game. A trust was built between the two parties allowing the history of success with Sun Devils from Sweden to continue.
"My relationships with Missy and Michelle are relationships I value very highly," Grant remarked after announcing she was going pro. "I'm so glad that they gave me the chance to come to ASU and get to know them both. It was tough for me to speak to them and make my decision of leaving, but I know that they'll always be there for me!"
Grant put together a debut 2019-20 season that put her on the national collegiate map and belongs in the discussion of one of the top freshman campaigns in school history. She was recognized as a WGCA First Team All-American and Golfweek Second Team All-American after finishing in the Top-10 at five of her seven tournaments. She took home individual medalist honors while leading her team to a victory at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, the only Sun Devil to pick up an individual win in 2020.
The list of #ProDevils continues to grow every year, as Sun Devil Women's Golf remains one of the premiere programs in producing golfers who are ready for the next step of their career.
LPGA TOUR
Carlota Ciganda
Azahara Munoz
Anna Nordqvist
Roberta Liti
Linnea Strom
Linn Grant
Noemi Jimenez
Emilie Alonso
Alexandra Forsterling
Alessandra Fanali
Several Sun Devils remain active on other professional tours and represent the program all over the World. One thing all of these golfers have one thing in common is learning how to be a professional while attending Arizona State. Coach Farr-Kaye has continued the tradition of excellence established when the program won six National Championships in the 1990's, continuing to attract elite recruits and develop them into All-Americans.
The 2022-23 Sun Devils are currently ranked No. 12 in the nation and feature several student-athletes that will join the long lineage of Sun Devils in the pros.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For the latest updates and information on the Sun Devil Women's Golf program, follow our Twitter/Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWGolf), like our Facebook page (facebook.com/sundevilwgolf/), and visit our website (thesundevils.com).