Sweden’s top-ranked player, Linn Grant, replaced in LPGA team event due to vaccination status
Linn Grant has played all over the world in 2023 – from Morocco to South Korea to Thailand to Singapore to Saudi Arabia. But because she is not vaccinated against COVID-19, Grant has not yet competed in the United States.
In January, the U.S. government extended its existing COVID-19 restrictions, which require international visitors to be fully vaccinated against the virus. The national public health emergency will expire on May 11, and the hope for Grant is that she’d be eligible to compete in the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play event in Las Vegas, May 24-28.
In the meantime, she’ll miss the 2023 Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the year which is next week, as well as the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown, which will be played May 4-7 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. The top four Swedish players in the Rolex Rankings qualified for the event. Grant, who is currently the highest-ranked Swede at No. 22 in the world, was replaced by Caroline Hedwall, who is ranked 117th. Maja Stark (27), Madelene Sagstrom (28) and Anna Nordqvist (34) round out the Swedish team.
Grant won four times on the LET in 2022, including the history-making Scandinavian Mixed, in which she beat the men on the DP World Tour. She also topped the season-long Race to Costa del Sol.
In six LPGA starts last season, Grant carded four top-eight finishes and a T-19 at the AIG Women’s British Open.
Grant has yet to win in 2023 but has two top-four finishes on the LET. She recently tied for 36th on the KLPGA.
