Golf History — Christine Wolf Shares Lead At Scandinavian Mixed

The European Tour made history this week and so did Christine Wolf.

Wolf had one of the best days of her career during Thursday’s first round of the Scandinavian Mixed in Sweden and became the first woman in history to hold a share of the lead at a men’s European Tour event.

Wolf stepped into the spotlight after the first 18 holes of the Scandinavian Mixed — a first of its kind event hosted by Swedish icons Annika Sorenstam and Henrik Stenson.

This tournament at the Vallda Golf and Country Club outside Gothenburg, does something that has been batted around in the world of golf for a long time.  This is an event where both men and women from two major tours play at the same time, on the same course with one purse for all.  There are 78 men from the European Tour competing against 78 women from the Ladies European Tour.  Naturally, the men are playing a longer course, the ladies from tees moved forward.

But that’s where the difference ends.  They played in foursomes, two men, two women — all as individuals.

There were a lot of eyes on Stenson and Sorenstam, naturally.  The 50-year-old Sorenstam looked like she’s been away from the game — she finished with a one-over par 73 that left her tied for 111th while Stenson’s two-under 70 left him tied for 56th.

But it was the 32-year-old Wolf who garnered world-wide headlines with a bogey-free round that featured six birdies and an eagle.

Wolf, winner of the 2019 Hero Women’s Indian Open on the Ladies European Tour had her mother as her caddie and picked up four shots over her final four holes of the day.  “We love competing against the guys, we’ve had a few (informal)  mixed events at home,” she said. “It’s just fun.  At home there’s a lot of guys I play against, and I really like competing against them.”

Wolf didn’t waste any time as she got off to a good start.  “I started quite well and birdied the first two par fives that came up and actually hit it quite close on some of the holes but didn’t make any putts on the front nine. Then all of a sudden, I hit it close and towards the end the putter got really hot. It was nice!  I’ve been hitting it really well especially my drives, they’re down the middle. I know I can hit it really hard, and it will still stay straight. I’m trusting my game.”

Wolf’s 64 went on the scoreboard first then later in the day, two-time European Tour winner England’s Sam Horsfield came home with his own eight-under par effort.  His card had nine birdies and a single bogey.

Both of Horsfield’s wins came last season and he was later sidelined with a back injury.  But he’s now back feeling 100 percent.  He had birdies on all four of the par fives and it was a key to his good start.  “It was just really solid,” he said.  “I haven’t really been taking advantage of the par fives this year, so that was my main goal. I hit every fairway and played them in four under today. That gets you going – four under right there, toss in a couple more and it’s eight under.”

As for the mixed format, Horsfield didn’t mind playing with the ladies.  “It was definitely different but I really enjoyed it. (Alice Hewson in his group) was really good, I think she made four birdies in a row on the back nine. I didn’t really know what to expect, to be completely honest with you.  But she played really well and I had a great time.”

Maybe not as great a time as Wolf but the 32-year-old Austrian wasn’t the only lady to go low.

Brits Ashley Chesters (65) and Felicty Johnson (66) had themselves a pretty solid performance on opening day.

On day two, yet another LET star stepped up.  Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall excited her home country’s fans with a 64 of her own.  It got her to 13-under par, a shot better than Dutchman Joost Luiten (67-65).  As for Wolf, she cooled off but stayed in contention with an even par round of 72 that kept her at eight-under par.  The other first round co-leader, Horsfield, did the old 10-shot trick — in the wrong direction, posting a second day 74.

So women have topped the scoreboard for two straight days.

This first of its kind format makes you wonder if something like this can make its way across the pond to the U.S.?

Only time will tell.

Scandinavian Mixed Scoreboard: