Anna Nordqvist Announces Retirement Ahead of Solheim Cup

Anna Nordqvist, a three-time major champion, announced her retirement from professional golf on Wednesday. The 39-year-old Swede will play her final tournament at this week's FM Championship in Boston, then travel to the Netherlands to captain Team Europe at the 20th Solheim Cup.

What Did Nordqvist Win in Her Career?

Nordqvist broke through at the 2009 McDonald's LPGA Championship at Bulle Rock Golf Course, her first major title in just her fifth start on tour after a decorated amateur career that included a stint at Arizona State. She added a second major at the 2017 Amundi Evian Championship, winning a playoff over Brittany Altomare in driving rain and hail, and closed out her major haul at the 2021 AIG Women's British Open at Carnoustie.

The Carnoustie win made Nordqvist only the second player, after England's Georgia Hall, to capture the British Girls', British Amateur and British Open titles. She also came close to a fourth major at the 2016 U.S. Women's Open, losing a playoff to Brittany Lang after a controversial penalty call that later led to a rules change.

What Has Nordqvist Faced Off the Course?

Nordqvist has dealt with significant personal loss in recent years, including the sudden death of her former husband, Kevin McAlpine, and a 2024 procedure to remove a large benign cyst. In her retirement letter, posted to Instagram, she said she is stepping away "to focus on my health and my family."

I've gone through hell and back the last couple years.

"I've gone through hell and back the last couple years," Nordqvist wrote of the period, adding that she is proud of herself for persevering through it.

How Has She Played This Season?

Nordqvist made her case as a player even while serving as captain. She tied for seventh at the Amundi Evian Championship, becoming the first sitting Solheim Cup captain to finish top 10 at a major in a Solheim Cup year, and made the cut at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship weeks earlier, another first for a captain in a Cup year.