I thought I’d let you know that Royal Porthcawl didn’t disappoint last week. We only managed 13 holes - at the end of the day, this was work and we used the time on the golf course to get the images we needed to accompany a heap of video content. I must say, you can see the sea from every hole, it’s a stunning location and the traditional timber clubhouse is also part of the Royal Porthcawl experience.

The best thing… the course was dry and the ball was running, I had to clip the ball off the fairway, which was the complete opposite of what I’ve experienced recently at my home club. In fact, it did me a favour, because when I played on Saturday my confidence was at an all-time high because I then found it easier to hit my 3-wood when there was some grass under the ball!

While I was at Royal Porthcawl I also interviewed Sweden’s Linn Grant via a video link. She hasn’t played the course yet, but I’m sure she will before the AIG Women’s Open comes around because aside from wanting to win again this year, her goal is to improve her ranking and that means playing well in the Majors.

It’s such a shame that the Scandinavian Mixed has been dropped from the DP World Tour schedule. It’s fair to say that Linn owned this tournament, winning twice in 2022 and 2024. If you remember, last year she started the final round 11 shots behind the leader Sebastian Soderberg, but a final-round 65 meant that she snatched the title by one shot from Soderberg after he double-bogeyed the 18th.

Linn told the DP World Tour how disappointed she was that the Scandinavian Mixed has been dropped, especially as the event was gaining traction. While it wasn’t the most profitable globally, it was definitely one of the most talked about.

I agree with Linn, it’s a real shame, especially because this tournament helped to showcase some of the world’s best female golfers, providing them with another platform to show off their skills. It was unique, a departure from the norm as men and women competed for the same prize money and places, albeit from different tees. It certainly propelled Linn onto the world stage. Most importantly, it promoted mixed golf – you see, men and women can play golf together!

Happy golfing!

Alison Root 

Women's Editor Golf Monthly

 

Image courtesy of Ladies European Tour