SWEDISH LADY PROS BEST IN EUROPE - THEY WORK HARDER

FROM THE KAHLEEJ TIMES WEBSITE
By ALEX LEACH
DUBAI: Former British women's and girls' open amateur champion Anna Nordqvist insists Swedish ladies’ golf will continue to go from strength to strength in 2012, with their collective camaraderie and competitiveness bringing the very best out of each other.
The Scandinavian country had 10 female professionals competing past the post-cut stage at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, making Sweden the most represented nation on show ahead of the USA (nine) and France (six).
Sweden had more pros in the victorious European team in September’s Solheim Cup success than any other of the continent’s countries, while the Swedes have four of 15 European pros inside the top 100 of the world rankings.
That impressive streak of statistics stems from a friendly and healthy rivalry between each other in the wake of Annika Sorenstam’s retirement three years ago, according to Nordqvist (pictured above).
“Everyone is doing a lot of good things and motivating each other,” said Nordqvist, who is currently 31st in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. “We’re just a lot of hard workers, like Sophie (Gustafson), Pernilla (Lindberg), Caroline (Hedwall) and Linda (Wessberg).
“She (Sorenstam) was always there and was a role model for most of us.”
+Anna Nordqvist, pictured above with one of her trophies, was British girls open amateur champion in 2005. She played in three successive finals of the British women's open amateur championship. Anna lost to Belen Mozo in 2006 (Royal Co Down) and Carlota Ciganda in 2007 (Alwoodley) before winning the title at North Berwick in 2008 when she beat compatriot Caroline Hedwall in the final.