BATON ROUGE – LSU All-America golfer Ingrid Lindblad, who will be returning for her fifth season with the Tigers this fall, was announced on Wednesday as the recipient of the 2023 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading female player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
The medal is presented annually by the United States Golf Association and the R&A.
The school record-breaking winner with 11 titles and the low amateur in the 2022 United States Women’s Open, Lindblad, as the winner of the McCormack Medal, will receive exemptions into the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club as well as the 2024 AIG Women’s Open at the Old Course at St. Andrews.
“It’s an honor to receive this Medal,” said Lindblad. “Looking back at past recipients, it’s amazing to see what they have accomplished and to join them on this list. I am honored to have received this award and I believe it’s a receipt of all the hard work I’ve put into this game”
With the award, Lindblad becomes the first golfer, male or female, from Sweden to win the McCormack Medal.
Lindblad is a two-time Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and eagled the final hole to win the 2022 SEC individual championship, the first by an LSU golfer in 31 years. She has earned a school record 33 top-10 finishes and is a four-time All-SEC and four-time first-team All-America selection. She received her degree from LSU this past May.
She has back-to-back top five finishes in the NCAA Championships, finishing third in 2022 and fifth in 2023 in Scottsdale.
Lindblad has also had success internationally, winning the 2021 European Ladies Amateur Championship and finishing third this summer in the renewal. She made international headlines with her low amateur honors in the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open with a T11 finish at Pen Needles Golf Club that included a first-round 65, setting the all-time amateur scoring record for the championship.
She won the World Amateur Team Championship with Sweden in 2022, a title she is expected to defend this fall. She has participated in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur three times, finishing in a tie for third in 2021 and with a runner-up finish at the 2022 event. She also finished 32nd in the Volvo Mixed Pro Event earlier in the summer that put both men and women together in the same tournament.
“From all of us at the USGA, congratulations to Ingrid on this incredible accomplishment,” said John Bodenhamer, chief championships officer, USGA. “Ingrid has become a force in the amateur game, and it is clear that her hard work, dedication and passion for this game have paid off. Her performance in last year’s U.S. Women’s Open at Pine Needles, among other notable accomplishments, is something we’ll remember for quite some time. She is quite deserving of this honor and all that comes with it.”
Professor Steve Otto, Chief Technology Officer at The R&A, said, “Ingrid has performed at a consistently high level for some time now and her results show that she is a thoroughly deserving recipient of the women’s McCormack Medal. We would like to congratulate Ingrid on this outstanding achievement and look forward to seeing her continuing development in the years ahead.”
The R&A and the USGA co-award the McCormack Medal annually. It is named after Mark H. McCormack, who founded sports marketing company IMG and was a great supporter of amateur golf.
Lindblad, as of Wednesday’s ranking, is in her 11th week as World No. 1, is one of just 19 women’s golfers to hold the rank of No. 1 in the WAGR.
The World Amateur Golf Ranking, which is supported by Rolex, was established in 2007 when the men’s ranking was launched. The women’s ranking was launched in 2011 and has a calendar of around 2,300 counting events with more than 3,322 ranked players from 85 countries.
Lindblad is expected to compete in LSU’s first fall tournament in Charleston, S.C. when LSU competes in the Cougar Classic, Sept. 11-12.