A year ago, Linn Grant earned her first LPGA victory at the Dana Open.
After 36 holes, she’s in position to win the event for a second time in a row at Highland Meadows Golf Club, a golf course that features back-to-back par 5s on Nos. 17 and 18.
Grant followed up her first-round 67 with a Friday 65 to get to 10 under and walk off the course a shot off the lead of Chanettee Wannasaen after the morning wave. Grant so far has carded three bogeys against 13 birdies, with eight of them coming in the second round. She’s birdied the 17th two days in a row.
Grant says having her brother on the bag this week is helping her with the mental side of things.
“It’s nice to have him here,” she said Friday. “It’s nice to kind of show him the place that I’ve been to before. Obviously, like, it’s nice to have someone that you can chat about different things rather than just having yourself to talk to or just your own thoughts about golf.”
Grant has two top-10s this season, including last month’s KPMG Women’s PGA. But the LPGA schedule has several more big events left with the Olympics (where she’ll represent Sweden alongside Maja Stark, Aug. 7-10) the AIG Women’s British Open (Aug. 22-25), and the Solheim Cup (where she’s currently second in the points standings, Aug. 13-15).
“There is a lot of golf left, a lot of important, big events. I mean, looking at that I feel like I’m still very much a rookie on tour. I want to try to play as much as possible to know the schedule for future years.
“So I was going to play next week but I’m taking next week off to just relax and prepare myself for Olympics and the last major coming up.”
Tied with Grant at 10 under is Xiyu “Janet” Lin.