2022 Women’s Open: Nordqvist hoping for double celebration ahead of title defence

Anna Nordqvist is an Aramco ambassador and the reigning Women's Open champion.

Anna Nordqvist has already packed a lot into her time in Scotland – and her schedule is about to get even more manic

The defending Women’s Open champion has barely stopped smiling since she got the chance to play in the R&A Celebration of Champions event alongside Collin Morikawa. She’s practically spent most of her summer in Scotland in preparation for her title defence at Muirfield this week and her belated wedding celebrations in Angus the week after. 

“My mind is a little bit everywhere at the moment,” admits the 35-year-old, who actually tied the knot with Martin Laird’s caddie Kevin McAlpine in a small ceremony in Arizona last March. “I’ve had my dress for a good almost three years now. I hope it still fits. I’ve got to lay off the candy here.”

RELATED: Jin Young Ko: ‘I train for golf like a fighter trains for a title bout’

The smiling Swede has a lot to be excited about, which is a welcome change from last year when she was worrying about getting a pick for the Solheim Cup team. She even doubted whether she would ever return to the winner’s circle again after being hit hard by the effects of glandular fever.

For a while she seemed in freefall, lacking in energy and belief, but victory at last year’s AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie was a lesson in perseverance and patience. It ended a 1,435-day winless streak, making her only the third European – after Annika Sorenstam and Laura Davies – to win as many as three major championships.

RELATED: Everything you need to know about the AIG Women’s Open

Her return to form has been one of the greatest golf stories of the last year. She hasn’t missed a cut since September, and she arrives at Muirfield in high spirits after winning the Big Green Egg Open on the Ladies European Tour last month.

“I’m feeling good about my game,” Nordqvist told us. “I’ve worked really hard to be consistent again, because I feel like I lost that consistency over the last couple of years. I played good at the US Open and played good at the KPMG [Women’s PGA Championship] until a double on the last hole. Just small things have maybe let me down here and there. 

RELATED: Georgia Hall targets Women’s Open repeat after McIlroy pep talk

“A lot of tournaments I have had three very solid rounds, and maybe one round has let me down. At the Evian, I finished 22nd but I didn’t have a very good week on the greens at all. I’m just waiting for it all to click at the same time.”

Given how busy her schedule is right now, the three-time Major champion could probably have benefitted from a weekend off, but she made the cut on the number at the Women’s Scottish Open and finished in a tie for 34^th. 

Like the majority of players in the field at this year’s Women’s Open, Nordqvist has never played Muirfield before but she does have a track record of excelling on tougher courses. She also has the added benefit of having a Scottish caddie by her side and a Scottish husband in her corner.

RELATED: Britain’s best links golf courses

“I love Scotland and I like a challenge,” says the World No.21. “I love playing tougher courses. The beauty with links golf is that not everything has to be perfect. I kind of enjoy having to think a little bit more and aiming 15 yards outside the fairway for the wind to bring the ball back. I think you have to be open minded and that’s what I like.”

Two weeks ago she was back at Carnoustie, returning to the scene of what she refers to as the biggest win of her career. She says she is a better player now than she was 12 months ago, though she is wary about putting too much pressure on herself as she bids to become the first female player to defend a major championship since Inbee Park in 2014.

“Just getting to win the Championship once in your career is pretty remarkable. I’m just going in there with pride as the defending champion. I don’t feel like I’ve got anything to prove. I’m just going to enjoy it because I earned it.”

Whatever happens this week, she is going to be celebrating one way or the other.

Nordqvist is an Aramco Team Series ambassador and will be in action alongside the Korda sisters at the Aramco Team Series in Sotogrande, from August 18-20. For more details, click here.

READ NEXT: Solheim Cup stars defend LET’s Saudi links