WAGR

Ingrid Lindblad awarded McCormack medal as world's leading amateur golfer

The R&A

16 Aug 23

3 mins

Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden has won the Mark H McCormack Medal as the leading woman in the 2023 World Amateur Golf Ranking® (WAGR®).

The McCormack Medal winner receives exemptions into the 2024 US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club as well as the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course, St Andrews

Honoured Swede

Lindblad, who will begin her fifth year at Louisiana State University as a graduate student this autumn, has had a phenomenal college career, amassing 11 individual titles with the Tigers, including the 2022 SEC Individual Championship, as well as two SEC Player of the Year honours. In that time, she has earned 33 top-ten finishes and is a four-time All-SEC team selection. She was named SEC Freshman of the Year in 2020. “It’s an honour to receive this Medal,” said Lindblad. “Looking back at past recipients, it’s amazing to see what they have accomplished and to join them on this list. I am honoured to have received this award and I believe it’s a receipt of all the hard work I’ve put into this game” In addition, Lindblad has shined on the international stage. She won the 2021 European Ladies Amateur Championship and earned low amateur honours at the 2022 US Women’s Open with a tied-11th finish that included a first-round 65, setting the all-time amateur scoring record for the championship. She won the World Amateur Team Championship with Sweden in 2022, earned a runner-up finish at the 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur and a runner-up finish at the 2023 European Ladies Amateur Championship. Lindblad has competed in six major championships, making the cut in two.

Ingrid Lindblad - Sweden

“Looking back at past recipients, it’s amazing to see what they have accomplished and to join them on this list. I am honoured to have received this award and I believe it’s a receipt of all the hard work I’ve put into this game”

Force in the game

Professor Steve Otto, Chief Technology Officer at The R&A, said, “Ingrid has performed at a consistently high level for some time now and her results show that she is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the women’s McCormack Medal. We would like to congratulate Ingrid on this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing her continuing development in the years ahead.” “From all of us at the USGA, congratulations to Ingrid on this incredible accomplishment,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer, USGA. “Ingrid has become a force in the amateur game and it is clear her hard work, dedication and passion for this game have paid off. Her performance in last year’s US Women’s Open, among other notable accomplishments, is something we’ll remember for quite some time. She is quite deserving of this honour and all that comes with it.”

First from Sweden

With the award, Lindblad becomes the first golfer, male or female, from Sweden to win the McCormack Medal. The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf. The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The men’s ranking encompasses over 3,500 counting events, ranking 4,520 players from 118 countries. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,300 counting events with more than 3,322 ranked players from 85 countries.

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