LSU's Ingrid Lindblad wins fans with great amateur game at US Women's Open
SOUTHERN PINES — She played two rounds of golf with Hall of Famer and countrywoman Annika Sorenstam, set an 18-hole record for the low score by an amateur and placed in the top 11 at the 77th U.S. Women's Open Championship.
It wasn't a bad week for Ingrid Lindblad, the 22-year-old Swede and Louisiana State University junior who made quite a splash by outplaying many of the world's best women golfers at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Club.
"I was very impressed by my own short putting, especially the first three days,'' Lindblad said after her final round. "I saw yesterday I was the only player in the field who hadn't missed a putt under like 10 feet. I missed a few today. But it just proves like stroke strange and practicing short putts, it's good, because you're going to need them. It worked the first three days, and today was a little tougher.''
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Lindblad entered Sunday's final round tied for fourth place. She had gotten herself in position for a top-10 finish with an opening-round 6-under-par 65 that was the lowest for 18 holes ever for an amateur in Open history.
In addition to playing well the first two days — she followed with a second-round 71 — Lindblad was in a playing group with Sorenstam, who won one of her three Open titles at Pine Needles in 1996. The experience was the highlight of the week for Lindblad.
"I think playing with Annika was really cool,'' she said. "The first two rounds it was like, 'go Annika,' and then people kind of started saying, 'go Ingrid' instead, which I thought was kind of cool. Like everyone is cheering you on. Maybe not if you're related to Minjee Lee, who's in the lead, but everyone is cheering for you. And the people out here have been amazing, like they're screaming, 'go Tigers' and 'go Ingrid,' and like 'great job this week' and everything. It's been really fun.''
Lindblad also made a strong impression on Sorenstam.
"She's authentic,'' Sorenstam said after Friday's second round. "She's got a special look, but she's a fearless player. I think she's confident in her own game,” Sorenstam said. “I know she doesn't shy away from the limelight that, maybe, I did as a young girl. I think she embraces it quite well, and she has some good tournaments coming up this summer, and I think she's excited. She's going to be a senior. She's one of the leaders. She's really a terrific young lady, and I think she's going to do well.”
By finishing tied for 11th, Lindblad missed earning an automatic exemption into next year's Open at Pebble Beach.
"... I heard they were talking about it at breakfast, like, top 10 gets an invite to next year. I think I'm missing out by like one shot. It sucks, but it was a good week.''
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This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: LSU's Ingrid Lindblad has great amateur game at US Women's Open
