Linn Grant made history in front of her home fans as she stormed to a stunning nine-shot victory at the 2022 Volvo Car Scandinavian Mixed to become the first female winner of a DP World Tour event.
The 22-year-old Swede produced a nerveless display of frontrunning on Sunday to keep a host of DP World Tour stars at bay and claim her third Ladies European Tour title in just six starts this season.
Grant did not put a foot wrong at Halmstad Golf Club on day four, stretching her overnight lead from two shots to seven with five birdies in the first six holes.
She managed to keep her card clean with three successive pars as the rain poured down over the next few holes before making another birdie on the tenth.
And, roared on by the enormous crowds that followed her wherever she went, Grant picked up further shots at the 11th and 14th to sign for a flawless 64, get to 24 under par and win by the biggest margin on the DP World Tour so far this season.
Home hero and tournament co-host Henrik Stenson finished in a tie for second on 15 under alongside Scotland's Marc Warren, with back-to-back birdies at the 17th and 18th helping Stenson to a closing 70.
Grant opened her final round with a birdie from seven feet before picking up another shot at the second.
After taking advantage of the short fourth, Grant kept her foot on the gas, birdieing the fifth from eight feet to reach 20 under par.
And a third successive birdie at the sixth saw Grant stretch her lead over her nearest challengers to seven shots.
Another birdie chance followed at the seventh but Grant had to settle for a par as the rain turned heavy in Tylösand.
Her next birdie came at the tenth, from six feet, before she two-putted from 45 feet for another gain on the long 11th to get to 23 under par.
Grant was enjoying herself at the host course's par fives on Sunday and the 14th was no exception, with another birdie there extending her lead to nine shots.
And she safely parred her way home to post a second successive bogey-free round and claim the trophy.
Speaking on the 18th green after her tremendous victory, Grant said: "It's huge. Just playing at home and having the crowds here, my family by my side, boyfriend on the bag - it's crazy and I'm proud of myself.
"I just hope that people recognise women's golf, more sponsors go to the LET and hopefully this pumps up the women's game a little bit more.
"Pontus (Grant's caddie and boyfriend) has been amazing, keeping me calm and doing everything right.
"The crowds are, like always, amazing. Swedish crowds!"
When asked if she particularly wanted to beat the men this week, Grant said: "For sure - the most important thing!
"It's a nice feeling. All week I just felt like it's the girls against the guys and whoever picks up that trophy represents the field."
Grant, who also won the Joburg Ladies Open and Mithra Belgian Ladies Open on the LET this season, added: "I was actually surprisingly calm on the first tee.
"My first day with (Stenson's fellow co-host) Annika Sörenstam was my most scary and stressful one, so today on the first fairway I told Pontus that I was very calm and it’s very doable today to play with this.
"I felt happy and relieved and to be able to get in the zone and just enjoy golf for a last day was very nice. When I walked up on the 13th green, I saw the leaderboard and I saw it was eight shots and it was very relaxing to not have to change gears and I could just go out and continue doing what I was doing.
“I hope this victory is big. I hope it brings women more forward and it gets people’s eyes on us a little bit more. It is always nice to say that you beat the guys for a week! To be able to speak Swedish and hear everyone out there cheering for you, it was amazing.”
Stenson said: "I ended up tied second with a couple of late birdies and the only thing I could have done better was solo second because there was just one player out there today and she played amazing.
"Every time I looked back she was in prime position and just gave herself birdie chances one after another I would imagine, so there wasn’t much I could do against a player like that, so very well played and congratulations to Linn."
