ASU in the Pros Series: Anna Nordqvist

Before ever stepping foot onto Arizona State’s Tempe campus, Anna Nordqvist had already been a successful amateur golfer in both Europe and the United States.

She was Swedish Junior Player of the Year in 2004 and 2005, Swedish Amateur of the Year in 2005, Girls' British Open Amateur Champion in 2005 and was part of the successful Swedish team at the European Team Amateur.

Then, in 2007 she committed to play for Arizona State, which meant she would hold off from becoming a professional for at least two years.

By the end of her freshman year in 2007, she was Pac-10 co-champion and was named National Golf Coaches Association’s Freshman of the Year, Pac-10 Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year.

Her sophomore season was even more impressive, until she turned professional after the Sun Devils fall semester.

Even though Nordqvist’s run as a Sun Devil was short lived, her list of accomplishments and her ability to grow the program has lived on to this day.

Notable Achievements at ASU

• Tied for fifth at the NCAA Championships

• 2008 National Golf Coaches Association First-Team All-American

• 2008 First-Team Pac-10

• 2008 National Golf Coaches Association’s Academic All-American Team

• Tied for first at the PING/ASU Invitational

• Carded nine top-10 finishes in 11 tournament appearances, including five top-5

• Shot a 72.38 stroke average in her freshman year

• 2007 NGCA Freshman of the Year

• 2007 NGCA First-Team All-American

• 2007 Pac-10 Player of the Year

• 2007 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year

• 2007 NGCA Academic All-American

Where is she now?

In only her fifth start on the LPGA Tour, after she left ASU as a sophomore, Nordqvist won her first professional tournament and major, the LPGA Championship in June of 2009. This led to her selection as a captain's pick for the Solheim Cup. In November, she won the LPGA Tour Championship for her second victory of the season. She was named Rookie of the Year on the LET and finished as the runner-up for the LPGA Rookie of the Year honors.

At the end of May 2015, Nordqvist won her fifth official championship on the LPGA Tour. She birdied the second-to-last hole and bogeyed the 54th hole to win by one stroke.

Since 2015, Nordqvist has only competed in five tournaments on the LPGA-tour, dedicating more and more time to her family.

But if Nordqvist never played in another tournament it wouldn’t affect her legacy as one of ASU’s greats.