Anna Nordqvist closed the chapter on an 18‑year professional golf career with a poignant farewell at the FM Championship on Sunday, just 12 days before she steps onto the podium as captain of Team Europe for the Solheim Cup, a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. The 39‑year‑old Swede, who earlier this week announced that the Boston event would be her final appearance, wrapped up her tournament on the ninth green at TPC Boston, surrounded by a supportive circle of fellow competitors and caddies. She finished the round at even par, posting a one‑under‑par total for the week, a fittingly steady conclusion to a remarkable tenure.
Throughout her career Nordqvist amassed 16 tournament victories, three of which were major championships, and she recorded 19 top‑10 finishes in majors. Her Solheim Cup résumé is equally impressive, featuring five wins for Europe across nine consecutive team appearances. In the span of nearly two decades she has crafted a legacy that places her among the most accomplished European golfers of her generation. The emotional weight of the moment was palpable.
LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley embraced Nordqvist on the green, while playing partner Ariya Jutanugarn moved her to tears on the very first hole by expressing how honored she felt to share the final round with the Swedish legend. "Nothing ever prepares you for this moment.
I'm definitely going to miss it," Nordqvist said, her voice tinged with both sadness and gratitude. "A part of me feels like I still have so much more left in me, but I'm forever grateful for everything this game and the LPGA family have done for me. I came out on tour in 2009 as a 21‑year‑old with no family in the United States, and everyone has been such a huge support." When asked about how she would like to be remembered, Nordqvist reflected on the non‑linear nature of her journey. "Many people think a career is a straight line upward.
I've experienced a lot of highs and lows both on and off the course. What I want people to remember is that I never gave up," she explained.
She recounted moments when she contemplated quitting, particularly in 2012 and 2013. "I was really, really close to walking away.
If my younger brother hadn't come out and caddied for me that summer, I don't think I would be sitting here. He saved my career," she added, highlighting the crucial role family played in keeping her on the tour. Nordqvist's first major triumph arrived in her rookie season in 2009, when she captured the U.S.
Women's Open. She later added the Evian Championship in 2017, but she cites the 2021 AIG Women's Open at Carnoustie as the victory she cherishes most.
"It's still one of those moments where I pinch myself and ask, did this really happen? No one can ever take that away from me, and it's definitely the proudest moment of my career," she said. Her nine straight Solheim Cup appearances resulted in five European victories, and after serving as a playing vice‑captain in the two most recent editions, she is now turning her full attention to the captaincy—a role she has been preparing for over the past 18 months.
"All the work you put in is for others to prepare for that one week," she noted. "The satisfaction of seeing your hard work pay off won't be felt until the actual Solheim Cup.
I hope the players see the effort that my team and I have invested, because it truly takes a village to make an event like that happen." Family considerations have been central to both her decision to retire and her plans for the future. Nordqvist admitted she has "missed so many birthdays" over two decades of sacrifice. In two weeks she will travel to the Netherlands, where Bernardus Golf will host the first assignment of her post‑playing career.
Her nieces and nephews are expected to be there, providing a personal incentive to embrace the next phase. The farewell gifts began even before the final round. Former world No. 1 Lydia Ko presented Nordqvist with a bottle of champagne earlier in the week, which turned out to be from 2009—the year Nordqvist's rookie season began.
A second bottle, from 2017, marked the year she won the Evian Championship, her first major on European soil. "My mascara is obviously waterproof, so that's a good sign," Nordqvist joked after the ceremony, smiling through the tears. The tournament itself concluded with a dramatic finish.
China's Ruoning Yin secured the title with a two‑stroke margin over South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim, who posted a two‑under‑70 round capped by a birdie on the final hole. Yin's victory ended a 672‑day winless streak dating back to the 2024 Maybank Championship.
She made a bold decision on the closing par‑five, ignoring caddie David Jones' conservative advice and opting to attack the pin, a shot she described as "good" and executed with deliberate tempo. Yin's win marked her sixth career LPGA victory and, combined with her 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, placed her among a select group of players who have captured six tour titles—including a major—before turning 24. She became the second consecutive Chinese champion at this event, following Miranda Wang's triumph in 2025.
Other notable performances included Allisen Corpuz finishing third, while English teammates Charley Hull and Lottie Woad tied for 18th and 27th respectively. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who will captain Team USA in the upcoming Solheim Cup, finished tied for 50th in what will be her final tournament before the biennial showdown. The LPGA and Ladies European Tours will observe a brief hiatus ahead of the 20th Solheim Cup, set to be contested at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
Team Europe will look to reclaim the trophy from the United States. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at 4 p.m.
on Sky Sports+, followed by round‑the‑clock coverage of all three competition days on Sky Sports Golf, beginning at 6 a.m. on Friday, September 11, and continuing through Saturday, with the singles matches slated for Sunday, September 13, at 9 a.m. Beyond the competition, the event offers fans the chance to explore golf across the UK and Ireland, with over 1,700 courses available for booking. As Nordqvist transitions from player to leader, her story serves as a reminder that perseverance, family support, and a willingness to adapt are the hallmarks of a lasting legacy in sport.