'I Became The Middleman, Players Would Sometimes Come To Me First' - Solheim Cup Player Anna Nordqvist On Her Dual Role

To say the last 18 months have been tough for three-time Major champion Anna Nordqvist is an understatement. The 37-year-old Swedish golfer has endured challenges that no one should face at her age, including divorce proceedings and the sudden passing last October of her husband of two years, Kevin McAlpine, the former caddie of Lexi Thompson.

While taking one step at a time to rebuild her life on and off the golf course, Nordqvist remains a fighter with a burning desire to win. She will make her 9th appearance on the European Solheim Cup team at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club and as an assistant captain for the second time. She will serve alongside Caroline Martens, Dame Laura Davies, and Melissa Reid, under captain Suzann Pettersen, whom she describes as one of her best friends.

We had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Nordqvist at the Aramco Team Series London at the Centurion Club about the Solheim Cup and her role as assistant captain.

It’s no secret that you’ve gone through a very difficult time, so how are you doing? 

The last year and a half has been very tough and it's been possibly too much for me to handle. Even though I'm doing a lot better than I have been, it's all been taking a big toll on me and I'm mentally very exhausted. They say time heals a lot of things, but it's been trying to go back to competing, trying to rebuild my life on and off the course. I think I just need to accept that it's gonna take me some more time. There's days where I'm smiling and then there's days I feel very overwhelmed, but in general, I just feel very exhausted.

You were the first playing-assistant captain in Solheim Cup history last year at Finca Cortesin in Spain. Tell us about that experience.

As a player you’re fortunate to just show up on the Sunday prior, all your outfits are laid out and everything is taken care of, but there’s such a long process to get there. I have now seen the amount of hard work, especially from Suzann, that goes on behind the scenes, the meetings, and how much thought and detail is put into every aspect. I didn’t play on Friday afternoon, so I had the radio to hear what was going on, and again, as a player, there are so many things that you don’t realise. I’m dreaming of being a Solheim Cup captain myself one day, so it’s a cool way to learn.

How difficult was it to have a dual role and switch your focus?

It was a good role to have because I became the middleman between the players and captains - I understood both sides. A lot of players came to me first, sometimes it’s hard to initially bring up something with the captain.This was nice because they felt comfortable with me as I’m playing, I’m still out there.

For me, being at that place in my life, having a lot of things going on off the course, it made it a bit difficult for me to be in that role, but having already been part of the preparations, that week I stepped down to focus on being a player. I found that I couldn’t deal with adrenaline. Out on the course, it reminded me a lot of the stress hormones and everything, so it was really hard. I broke down in the captain’s meeting on Saturday evening. I’d played 36 holes, I’d played really well, we’d both played good, but walked away with zero points. I was pretty upset, but managed to pull it together for the singles. 

What have you learned from last year’s captaincy role that you will take into this year’s match?

It was slightly difficult with some of the practical logistics in Spain last year, which made it a bit harder for things to run smoothly, so Suzann, Caroline, Laura and myself had to learn how best to function as a group. With the Solheim Cups being almost less than a year apart, the European team hasn't changed that much, so we will embrace what we had, look at what was successful and build on that. This is a plus because we’ll be heading into the match already feeling fairly prepared.

What can players and fans expect from the Robert Trent Jones course and the US team?

It’s a great golf course. There are some really cool par-3s, lots of water and holes framed by trees. The US side has gone through a transition, the rookies on the team last year are playing really well and the team will be coming out strong in September. Having been on a winning team in the US twice now, there’s no better feeling and we’ll show up as prepared as we can be. I believe the match is sold out, so we can expect hundreds of people - the atmosphere will be amazing.

How does winning a Major compare with being part of a winning Solheim Cup team?

Nothing compares to winning a Major title, it’s the biggest accomplishment for a professional golfer, but many of my career highlights and special memories come from the Solheim Cup because I’m sharing them with others.

There must be too many to mention, but what do you consider to be your most memorable Solheim Cup moments?

Scoring a hole-in-one on the 17th hole in 2013 at Colorado Golf Club definitely ranks high among my achievements. Myself and Caroline Hedwall came from four down in our foursomes match to beat Jessica Korda and Morgan Pressel 2&1. 

Sharing my Solheim Cup experience with family and friends at last year’s match in Spain was a big highlight. It was the first time that my nieces and nephews came to watch me play. Walking out to the 1st tee for my singles match hand in hand with my 11-year-old nephew, who now loves golf, was really special. When I was in Sweden recently sitting in my brother’s backyard, my nephews were begging me to play golf. We found some clubs and balls and headed to a small mountain to hit through the trees. It’s just nice to see how much they love the game too.

You mention the 1st tee, where singing and chanting has become a hallmark of the Solheim Cup. Are you naturally outgoing, do you embrace the 1st tee?

I used to be very shy, coming from Sweden! I’m very down to earth, but not someone that needs to be heard or seen. If I walk into a room, I don’t expect people to acknowledge me or anything like that. I like to be in the background, although I will speak when I feel like I have something to say. It is very important to me to be a good teammate and role model. When rookies come into the Solheim Cup, I like to take on a big sister role.

I love the 1st tee atmosphere. When you're practising in the winter or when it's raining, these are the moments I live for. We don't have any other week like it, coming out onto the tee with everyone screaming.

As such an experienced Solheim Cup player, what is your advice for any rookies that will be part of this year’s European team?

The young players coming through have far more knowledge - technology and training is so much better, they are many steps ahead from when we were at the same age. We didn’t really have the answers, we had to figure things out ourselves. They are a generation that don’t ask as many questions, or try to learn as much. Everyone is different, you’ve just got to do it your way, play your game and surround yourself with a team that puts you in the direction that you want to go.

You’re clearly a big fan of  team events, would you like to see more including mixed events?

I really like team events because it  mixes it up. If you play the same format week in week out, it can get pretty monotonous. When I played in the Aramco Team Series (ATS) tournament at Centurion Club in 2021, it sparked off a good summer and I ended up winning the Women’s Open a couple of weeks later. I feel like I wouldn’t have done that if I hadn’t come here and enjoyed myself playing with a good team in a more fun and relaxed environment. That’s what I enjoy, shouting for your team, you want to see them do well and you can feed off each other. Whether it’s ATS, International Crown or Solheim Cup, it’s a nice mix. 

I don’t think we should have too many team events though, as the ones we do have won’t feel as special. It was good to see the Grant Thornton Mixed Invitational at the end of last year and a mixed team event at the next Olympics would be cool.

This is your 16th year on tour, so how far has the women’s game progressed since you turned professional?

The women’s game is the strongest it has ever been and it’s exciting to see that it’s finally getting some attention with better TV coverage. Players are hitting it far, they’re good, they’re fearless. I’m 37 and just trying to do my best, but you’ve got to show up and be on your game because there are many more consistent players out there. You can see a big change - there are coaches and physios, everyone has a team. More prize money provides more opportunities to have people around you, so you’re gonna get better.