Sweden's Grant Uses Matching 65s to Claim Second LPGA Tour Title and Become 29th Different Winner of the Season
By Doug Milne
BELLEAIR, Fla. – Following a third-round 5-under 65 at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, good for a 1-stroke lead at 14-under 196, Sweden’s Linn Grant took little time deciding on a game plan for Sunday’s final round.
“I’m just going to go out and try to do the same as I did today,” Grant said after Saturday’s round. “I’m just going to go out, have fun and do what I’ve been doing so far. Hopefully, that puts me on top of the leaderboard.”
It did. In fact, hers was the only name atop the leaderboard at any point Sunday, because she did do the same thing.
With a second consecutive 65 Sunday, Grant claimed a three-stroke win at 19-under 261, her second on the LPGA Tour. Today’s win comes two years removed from her maiden victory at the 2023 Dana Open.
“It feels very nice,” Grant said. “There are weeks where you feel like their game is really good and there could potentially be a win. It's just really nice to see it go all the way, to walk off 18 and be able to pat yourself on the shoulder knowing I actually did it this week.”
With the win, Grant collects 500 CME Globe Points earned, taking her season-long total to 1,327.5. She moves from 41st to 21st in the Race to CME Globe.
Grant’s three-stroke margin of victory ties the largest in the six-year history of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican (now four occasions).
“For me, this year has been really big,” Grant said. “I've had to change a lot of things in my routines, things that I thought were good to do because other people were doing them. I finally started asking do I actually believe in it…what do I think makes me a better person and a better player?”
Part of Grant’s success was credited to her accuracy and control. In Sunday’s final round, she hit 12-of-14 fairways 14-of-18 greens in regulation.
With the win, Grant becomes the 29th different winner of the 2025 LPGA season as the Tour celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Following a three-week break from competition before this week’s The ANNIKA drive by Gainbridge at Pelican, Colorado native Jennifer Kupcho found herself just a shot off the 14-under lead beginning the final round.
It’s often noted that getting out of one’s comfort zone builds strength, courage and – Kupcho hoped – result in winning on the LPGA Tour.
“This course kind of makes everyone uncomfortable,” she said following Saturday’s third round. “It’s a hard course.”
While she may not have taken the top spot, Kupcho’s final-round 3-under 67 did result in solo-second at 16-under 264.
“I think I played really well this week,” said Kupcho. “Linn just played amazing. She hit so many good shots this weekend. I played with her both days. Unbelievable golf by her. There is nothing you can really do when you're playing against someone that's playing really well. I felt like I played really well and am excited for next week.”
With eight birdies against just one bogey, Auston Kim’s 7-under 63 not only tied the low round of the day with Charley Hull, but it was good enough to vault her into a finishing spot of T4 at 14-under 266.
Hull, who also finished T4 with Kim, birdied her last two holes of the day to secure the bogey-free 63.
Playing the three-hole stretch of 12-14 in 4-under par to reach 13-under, Brooke Matthews followed an ace at the par-3 12th from 140 yards with an eagle-3 at No. 15th. After her third-round 6-under 64, Matthews signed for a 5-under 65 Sunday to finish T9 at 12-under 268.
“That was probably the craziest moment of my life, honestly,” Matthews said. “I hit a 9-iron, it one-hopped on the left hill and went in. I still can't believe it. That was my first ever hole-in-one, so it was a pretty special moment. And then, the chip in at 15. I was, like, ‘what's going on?’. I was really trying to settle my heart rate and couldn’t believe I had to play more holes.”
Highlighted by a second-round 7-under 63, Nelly Korda closed with a 1-under 69 to finish T15 at 9-under 271 in her bid to successfully defend the tournament’s title for a second time, and fourth overall (2021-2022, 2024).
En route to a 2-under 68, Nataliya Guseva holed her approach shot at No. 18 for an eagle-2, resulting in a move up the Race to the CME Globe from 64th to 57th. The shot heard ‘round the world resulted in a continuation of her season with a spot in this week’s CME Group Tour Championship field. Only the top 60 earn spots into field at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples.
