14 Things You Didn't Know About Matilda Castren

Learn more about American-born Finn Matilda Castren with these facts

14 Things You Didn't Know About Matilda Castren

Matilda Castren burst onto the scene midway through 2021 with her first victories on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.

Still a relatively unknown quantity though, we’ve highlighted some facts you should know about Castren following her qualification for both the Olympics and Solheim Cup team.

14 Things You Didn't Know About Matilda Castren

1. Matilda Castren was born 18 January 1995 in New York, and she now lives in San Diego.

2. She also lived in Connecticut and Dallas for two years in her early life before moving back to Finland with her family, who hail from the Scandinavian country.

A Finnish bank employed her father, hence the nomadic lifestyle in the United States for Castren and her family.

Matilda's mother is a school teacher.

3. Castren's parents, Anne and Petri, introduced her to golf at age five, and she played her first competitive tournament at ten-years-old.

4. The Finn claims she doesn't have heroes per se in golf, but she looks up to Michelle Wie and fellow countrywoman Minea Blomqvist in the game.

5. Castren was ranked the No. 1 player in the U21 age group on the Finnish Rankings in 2012.

6. During her amateur career, she won nine different tournaments between 2011 and 2017, the final year before she turned professional to play on the Symetra Tour.

7. Castren represented Finland at the European Girls' Team Championship in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and also at the European Ladies' Team Championship in 2014, 2015, and 2016 too.

She also represented her country at amateur tournament Espirito Santo Trophy in both 2014 and 2016, plus Castren also played for the Continent of Europe during their successful Vagliano Trophy in 2017.

8. Matilda played college golf at Florida State University from 2014 until her graduation in May 2017, where she earned a degree in International Affairs.

While at university, Castren won seven individual collegiate competition titles, and made the All-American Second-Team in 2014 after the Women's Golf Coaches Association and GolfWeek selected her.

9. After graduating university and turning professional, Castren joined the Symetra Tour in 2018 and 2019.

She has one win on that specific Tour, though that did come in 2020 at the Mission Inn Resort and Club Championship.

10. The Finn earned her card for the 2020 LPGA Tour after finishing T26 at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, and just six starts on the Tour meant she had earned enough on the money list to qualify for her first Major, the 2020 Women's PGA Championship.

She finished T23.

11. Castren's first win on the LPGA Tour at the 2021 LPGA Mediheal Championship saw her become the first player from Finland to win on the Tour, which came in just her fifteenth start.

12. Matilda is eligible to play for the 2021 European Solheim Cup Team after claiming her first Ladies European Tour title at the 2021 Gant Ladies Open in her native Finland.

She needed to win on the LET to become a member of the Tour, and now that she is a member she is eligible to fulfil her dream of representing Europe in the Solheim Cup.

13. Castren will also represent Finland at the Tokyo Olympics, which will be the first time she is representing her country in a professional tournament.

However, when considering her amateur career, the Olympics will be Castren's ninth time representing Finland.

“I feel that pride every time I have a Finnish flag on my shirt,” said Castren. “It’s a special feeling and really cool to be able to call myself an Olympian.”

14. She reached her highest ever ranking in the Women's World Golf Rankings in July 2021, where she climbed to 52nd following her Gant Ladies Open win on the LET.