Facts: Scandinavian Mixed
What: Scandinavian Mixed, golf competition on both the ladies’ and men’s European tour.
When: Thursday – Sunday.
Where: Norra banan, Halmstad golf club.
Tv: TV10 / Viaplay.
Format: 78 women and 78 men compete in the same competition on the same track. During the first day of play on Thursday, the course is around 6,400 meters long for the men and just under 5,500 meters long for the ladies.
The prize money: approximately SEK 19.6 million (two million dollars).
Defending champion: Jonathan Caldwell, Northern Ireland.
Biggest stars: The Swedish golf legends Annika Sörenstam and Henrik Stenson host the competition and both come into play. The competition’s best ranked player is Alex Norén, who is number 60 in the world. Norén has won at home in Sweden twice in his career – in 2011 and 2015, the 39-year-old then won the Nordea Masters on the men’s European Tour.
New shooting stars: Maja Stark and Linn Grant, born in 1999, both became professionals last summer and have since won three and two titles respectively on the ladies’ European Tour.
The amateur: Last week, the amateur Ingrid Lindblad introduced herself when the 22-year-old led the major competition US Open after the first day via a 65-round. Lindblad finally finished eleventh in the big competition and became best amateur.
Interesting balls during the first day, at: 08.15: Alexander Björk, Johanna Gustavsson, Alice Hewson, England. 08.25: Henrik Stenson, Peter Hanson, Maja Stark. 12.50: Alex Norén, Ingrid Lindblad, Jonathan Caldwell, Northern Ireland. 13.00: Annika Sörenstam, Linn Grant, Kristoffer Broberg.
Today, Scandinavian Mixed starts at Halmstad Golf Club with 78 women and 78 men in the starting field. They compete against each other with a prize money of almost SEK 20 million, which is almost a doubling compared to last year’s premiere competition at Vallda Golf & Country Club outside Kungsbacka.
Unlike last year, audiences are now expected – the pandemic restrictions are a thing of the past.
– The audience is part of the competition. It is an extra atmosphere and that is why we play, says Annika Sörenstam who once again hosts the competition together with star colleague Henrik Stenson.
“Glorified training laps”
– It was weird during the pandemic. It felt like glorified training laps sometimes, says Stenson.
TT: Why is it good with a mixed competition and how do you think it turned out last year?
– Among the players, it was only positive. It was something new, it was a different atmosphere. When you came up on the range, you saw both boys and girls. It was a celebration of Swedish golf, says Stenson.
– Since last year, we have noticed other mixed competitions around the world. It is found in Australia and Asia. These are different concepts that can help golf grow. Make it a little more interesting and invite everyone to golf, says Sörenstam.
The new Swedish star Maja Stark, who since she became a professional last summer has taken three victories on the European Tour, is a little hesitant about the competition format.
– I’m a little split. I think it’s fun to play with the guys, but you can not do it (the competition) completely fair. There will always be some who complain that the girls are too far ahead, says Stark.
She has played two similar competitions on the European Tour in Thailand during the spring and then experienced that the ladies came far too close to the greens for entry. The choice of iron clubs was different and there was nothing that Stark felt she benefited from.
– I do not think it really works, but it is very fun to have a competition where we play with the guys and get to show a little more. We may be better here in Sweden at getting it right, says Stark, who finished second in one of the competitions in Asia.
Longer path for men
Last year, only two women finished in the top 14 in the competition, but both Sörenstam and Stenson believe that it is possible to create conditions for a fair competition on the whole. Halmstad’s northern course will be 900 meters shorter for the ladies on the first day of play.
– It can not be completely even on all holes. Three holes can perhaps be played relatively easily for the men, while four holes may be played easier for the girls, says Henrik Stenson.
Annika Sörenstam does not think it matters if a woman or you get to lift the victory trophy on Sunday.
– The goal is to set up the course as fairly as possible and of course that the best player wins, says Sörenstam.