LINN GRANT MADE HISTORY UNDER HER FATHER’S WATCHFUL EYE

By Steve Eubanks, LPGA.com

The golf world woke up last Sunday to some good news. And through the miracle of social media and other instant connections, fans around the globe scampered to televisions to watch The Volvo Scandinavian Mixed. There they saw Linn Grant make history by become the first woman to win a DP World Tour event. Even though the event was co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and the women played different tees, Grant’s accomplishment brought smiles, shouts and a few tears from fans who might not have known the 22-year-old Swede before last week. And with all the hoopla and distraction from LIV Golf, Grant gave everyone in the game a reason to cheer.

But for at least one observer, the victory was no surprise. John Grant, Linn’s father who played golf professionally for about the time it takes a cup of coffee to get cold in Stockholm, knew that his daughter had this in her. And why wouldn’t he? Since turning pro last fall, Linn has won three times in South Africa, capturing the Sunshine Tour Order of Merit and one overlap event (the Joburg Ladies Open) with the LET. She also won once on the LET Access Series and captured another LET victory in Belgium before making history in Sweden, romping to a nine-shot win over Henrik Stenson and Marc Wilson.

“It’s not very Swedish to say it this way but I’m not surprised that she won,” John said. “However, I was a little surprised by the way she won and the number of strokes. I knew she had it in her but nine shots and the way she did it was a little bit of a surprise.”

It was also a nice early Father’s Day gift for a man who, like his own dad, put the game on hold for family.

John Grant is the son of Scottish professional Jim Grant, winner of the 1956 Scottish Boys Junior and a Walker Cup invitee. “He was a big talent,” John said of his father. “He was picked for tryouts for the Walker Cup but chose not to go because they were the same week as admissions to university. Back then you couldn’t just say, hey, I’ll come to admissions later. So he chose to go to school.”

There were thoughts of traveling to America to play on the PGA Tour, but with a child (John) on the way and a job as an assistant pro at a Scottish club where he was relegated to polishing members’ shoes, Jim immigrated to Sweden with the flow of British pros during the golf boom of 1965.

John grew up in the game and came to America to play college golf at the University of…