Anna Nordqvist

Anna Nordqvist was the epitome of cool as she closed out the most special victory of her career at Carnoustie five years ago.

With the Swede this week calling time on her legendary playing career, memories of her thrilling victory at the 2021 AIG Women’s Open come flooding back.

Nordqvist will go down as one of the finest players of her generation, racking up three major titles, a further six victories on the LPGA Tour and five Solheim Cups.

Yet few moments encapsulated her class, resilience and quality quite like that week on Scotland’s east coast.

And few moments meant quite so much to the now 39-year-old, who will stop playing after this week’s FM Championship in Boston.

A special victory

Nordqvist had already won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and The Amundi Evian Championship when she arrived in Angus for the 2021 AIG Women’s Open.

She wasn't one of the early contenders when she got there, however. Going into the weekend five strokes back, she put in a sensational performance which included a sparkling Saturday round of 65 and a Sunday 69, closed out with par on each of Carnoustie’s notoriously demanding final four holes.

It was an ice cool finish, under the most intense pressure, which saw her ultimately claim victory by one stroke with a 12-under-par total of 276.

Speaking after her week in Carnoustie, she said: “I think this is the most special [victory].

“Just because it's taken me a couple years and I've fought so hard and questioned whether I was doing the right things.

“It just seemed so unreal and just to have a little tap-in for the win, I couldn't ask for anything better.”

A stellar career

The 2021 AIG Women’s Open was by no means her only stand-out performance.

After a distinguished amateur career which saw her claim the Girls’ Amateur and Women’s Amateur Championships, she started her professional career off with a bang.

Her maiden major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2009 came just six months after joining the paid ranks.

Five months later she won the LPGA Tour Championship, and her exploits earned her the Rookie of the Year accolade on the Ladies European Tour come the end of the season.

She came close to winning her second major at the US Women’s Open in 2016, ultimately losing a play-off to Brittany Lang, however she did add to her tally the following year when she won The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France.

Her career has also brought five Solheim Cups in nine appearances, and although she will finish playing in the coming days, the Swede has a huge month ahead as she prepares to captain the European team in September’s match at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.

While her legacy will be more than one Championship, her week at Carnoustie endures as one of the most memorable editions of the AIG Women's Open in recent memory.

And as she prepares to draw the curtain this week, it serves as a fitting reminder of Nordqvist's standing as one of the finest players of a generation.