The Solheim Cup teams are all set with the finalization of the American team Monday. Over the next two weeks leading into the competition, we will rank all 24 players in the Solheim Cup for both teams, continuing today with Linn Grant
There are few, if any players, on either team harder to rank than Linn Grant. The 27-year-old from Sweden will be making her third consecutive start for Europe, and we’ve seen a bit of everything out of her so far.
Grant’s first appearance was an encouraging start. She went 3-2, going out in all five rounds and forming a strong pairing with Carlota Ciganda that went 2-0-0 in fourball. Her singles loss, if possible, was still a solid result, going all 18 holes against United States star Megan Khang. She was undoubtedly one of the most exciting players for the future of Europe.
Then 2024 was an absolutely disaster. She was the worst player on either team, going 0-4-0 and losing to Jennifer Kupcho in singles, who was in bad form herself for the United States. For some reason, the fourball pairing with Ciganda was not revisited, nor was a partnership with close friend Maja Stark, whom she won a foursomes match with in 2023. She was probably mismanaged, but it doesn’t cover up her poor play.
The thing boosting Grant here is her pure talent. When she gets rolling, there’s arguably no player in the world more fun to watch. She hits it long, she can get in great rhythms putting the ball and she sticks it close to the flag. Across four seasons on the LPGA Tour, Grant has 20 top-10 finishes and two wins.
All that being said, Grant is in the midst of her worst season of her career. She has dropped out of the top 50 in the world and needs a strong finish to the year to make the Tour Championship. She has made just half her cuts and has only one individual top 10. Her putting has been dreadful, ranking No. 113 on the Tour and her short game in general has been a struggle. She has lost some distance as well this year, but still hits it plenty long.
Grant is a player that countrywoman Anna Nordqvist will probably have to manage well. Pairing her with Stark or Ciganda again would probably be a good place to start. That being said, I do think Nordqvist being in charge as a calming figure will be good for her.
There’s so much upside with Grant’s pure talent, there is reason to believe she can return to being a star for Europe.
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