INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Great things were expected from Ingrid Lindblad when she turned professional earlier this year. And now, just a few months into her pro career, the young Swede has more than delivered as a 2024 Epson Tour rookie.

After an impressive tenure as an amateur, one that saw her win numerous collegiate titles during her time at Louisiana State University and capture two wins at professional events in Europe, Lindblad elected to turn pro in June and use the status that she earned via the 2023 LPGA Qualifying Series to compete on the Epson Tour.

“I was very hyped from college, being number one in the world, and then missed the cut in my first tournament,” said Lindblad. “I was like, alright, we’ve gotten that out of the way. It's very different from college. You get out here. You don't have your teammates. You don't have your coaches. It's not the same. It's taken a little bit to get used to, but I definitely learn something every week, and I have gotten better every week and try not to think about people's expectations.”

After missing the cut in her pro debut at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, the 24-year-old righted the ship quickly, tying for 25th in her next start and then tying for second at the Island Resort Championship, her first top-five finish as a professional.

Lindblad earned two more top-10 results in her next three tournaments, including a solo second that came at the Guardian Championship, but it wasn’t until the Tuscaloosa Toyota Classic that everything finally came up roses for the Swede.

Lindblad carded a three-day total of 16-under at Ol’ Colony Golf Course in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to claim her first title as a professional, winning by two shots over Slovenian Ana Belac. It was a victory that most who have followed Lindblad’s upward trajectory expected to come incredibly quickly once she hit the professional circuit, and she was proud to have accomplished that goal early in her time as an Epson Tour member, particularly as it had big implications for the rookie in the season-long Race for the Card.

“The win felt so good because I was so close the week before. I just lost by one (after I) bogeyed 18,” Lindblad explained. “It was a tough week. It was raining. It was windy, so it was a little bit of a grind. But then, standing on the 18th hole, two-putted, made par, and I was like, this is what it feels like.

“A couple of years ago, I won on another golf tour at home. It was in 2020, so everyone played it. LET players played. I won it, but I didn't win any money because I was an am. But this felt way bigger because it's not playing about money, but climbing on the rankings, one step closer.”

Her win in Alabama vaulted Lindblad inside the top 10 of the Race for the Card, and she enters this week at the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells currently ranked eighth in the point standings. Fifteen LPGA Tour cards will be awarded to athletes finishing in the top 15 of the Race for the Card at the conclusion of the Epson Tour Championship, with those finishing in the top 10 securing better status than those who finish 11th or higher.

Lindblad knows what a solid showing at Indian Wells Golf Resort would mean for the future of her professional golf career and is as hungry as ever to make her lifelong dream of competing on the LPGA Tour come true. But she has also learned her lesson plenty of times about what can happen when an athlete gets too far ahead of themselves and plans to stay as present as she can at the year’s final event, even with everything that’s on the line.

“I think just taking it one shot at a time. Don't get too far ahead of yourself,” said Lindblad. “I always say that the Augusta National Women's Amateur every year, I feel like I was just getting too far ahead of myself. You know you're gonna play Saturday at Augusta, so just probably not think about Sunday. We'll start about thinking about like Thursday.”

While she was still at LSU, one of Lindblad’s collegiate coaches made her a bracelet that reads, “Be Where Your Feet Are,” and it can often be seen on her wrist while she’s competing in events.

It’s a motto the 24-year-old has worked hard to live by these past few months as she navigates her new life as a professional athlete. And considering she’s racked up three top-10 finishes and a win in just eight Epson Tour starts since June, it’s a strategy that has worked well for the Swede, one she will continue to employ as she battles to hang onto her spot in the Race for the Card top 10 over the next four days in Indian Wells, Calif.

“You can't look at the rankings. You still have to play your own game. If it works out, it works out. It’s gonna be a long week. It's super hot out here,” said Lindblad. “Focus on the stuff you can control because you can't control the weather. It's the same for everyone.

“The last couple of tournaments, I’ve said stay aggressive because you can't look at the cut line. You have to look up because if you just make the cut, you're not gonna get anywhere. So just stay aggressive. Be where my feet are.”

Ingrid Lindblad Hoping to Lock Up LPGA Tour Card at Epson Tour Championship

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