In 2018, Linnea Ström graduated from the Epson Tour and was named Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year. Flash forward to 2022, and Ström’s journey on the “Road to the LPGA” has come full circle. Her T4 finish at the Epson Tour Championship pushed her ahead of Xiaowen Yin, becoming No. 1 on the official money list and earning Ström the Player of the Year title.

“With a few weeks left on the Epson Tour, that was one of my main goals,” said Ström. “I’m very happy that I was able to accomplish that in the last couple of weeks.”

After securing a lone win and four additional top-10 finishes, Ström was able to clinch her LPGA Tour card before the season ended. The Swede took comfort in knowing that she was locked into the top 10, however, she wanted more.

“I was relaxed and playing my own game,” said Ström. “The week before the final event, my game felt pretty good. I had that in mind and was trying to continue to improve and finish the season good.”

Under the impression that being Player of the Year came down to her final putt at the Epson Tour Championship, Ström was not expecting the recognition. She thought she’d have to finish with a birdie and was relieved to walk off the course and hear good news.

Ström says she’ll head back to the LPGA Tour with renewed confidence after meeting many of her Epson Tour goals. She found happiness on the course, won a tournament and recorded seven top-10 finishes for the season.

“I’m going to try and bring that momentum into the off-season,” said Ström. “I’m very excited for next season and to see how my game compares to the LPGA Tour right now.”

The Swede’s plan is to do everything the same way she did it on the Epson Tour. Rather than compare her game to anyone else’s, Ström will focus on herself and evaluate success based off her own improvement. Having support from the Seiko Epson Corporation will allow her to continue achieving these goals on the LPGA Tour.

“I’m very excited and thankful for the support from Epson,” said Ström. “All of us 10 graduates are really going to enjoy that next year. It’s super nice that they support us and it’s nice to have the extra back-up financially as well and know that they stand behind you.”

Strom Earns Player of the Year Award

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