FM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 26, 2026

Anna Nordqvist

TPC Boston

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, welcome inside the media center here at the FM Championship. We are joined by three-time major champion and 2026 European captain, Anna Nordqvist. Anna, you had some big news drop this morning via video on your social media channels.

Tell us why now felt like the time to make this decision for your professional career.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I probably owe a few close people an apology for not giving them the heads up. Felt like I needed to do something for myself and I've had an incredible career. I think this is my 18 year on Tour.

I said when I took the captaincy job that I wanted to do this journey with the girls, and this is basically the last event before the Solheim Cup, so I feel like I've done and I've given my all and I've been there for them along the way.

And also, I feel like the last couple years have been really hard for me, you know, trying to get my game back. And I always felt like I wanted to finish on my terms, and I've actually gotten that opportunity.

This year I finally started feeling like myself again inside the ropes, and I wanted to like finish my career at a note when I was enjoying the game, and I felt like it was in a good place on and off the course.

So I'm 39 and I have dreams of one day having my own family, so I feel like there is a time and place for everything. But I'm quite content with what I've done and what I accomplished, and it's time to go focus on my family and focus on my health.

THE MODERATOR: What's the reaction been so far? I know you've been on the golf course all morning; haven't really had time to check your Instagram comments. But what's been the reaction from some of your fellow professionals so far?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, been a few hugs, and I think people are just trying to catch up. I announced at 8:00 a.m. this morning and had an 8:30 pro-am, so I said I wasn't going to look at my phone. I have quite a few messages.

Ran into some players and caddies and people working on the Tour, so it's been quite emotional. I said I wasn't going to cry, but nothing ever really prepares you for this moment.

I'm just going to try and enjoy it, and just knowing that I was able to finish on my terms.

Q. You've obviously known you were going to do this, but when you hit post or whoever hits post and it's shared with the world, what was your primary emotion? Relief? Sadness?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I think it's been a journey for me. So much of the focus -- like basically every single media interview has nothing to do with me this year. It all to do about the Solheim Cup and everyone wants to about ask all these other players.4.

So for me I think it was very important to have that moment for myself and being able to process it with my close ones and loved ones. And obviously they knew. I made a decision early this year this was going to be my last year.

So it's like being able to enjoy Evian and enjoy AIG Women's Open and all those like last moments, last major, last Evian and stuff, and not getting questions asked about it.

So I think that's what has been really nice for me, just being able to have that.

And then, I mean, everyone has always been very supportive of me through ups and downs. I'm surely going to miss that. I know I have a lot of people who care about me and support me in this, so it's very exciting.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about what the game has given you? Obviously that's a very loaded question. But, yeah, just if it you can think about some of the highlights and the memories.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, so I think when I approached LPGA asking for help to kind of write that final piece that I did, I love journaling. I write a lot.

So I think like when I look back on the career, I literally came -- I had the opportunity to come to Arizona State University like 20 years ago. They saw something in me. Gave me a full scholarship, and -- trying not to cry.

You know, given the opportunity because I had a dream. I had a lot of people doubting me and said I was never going to make it. But it's amazing what you can do if you not believe in yourself, but if you chase after something, you put in a lot of hard work.

So I think with that opportunity to come to ASU and be surrounded with a lot of great people who are still in my corner, that's why I still live in Arizona, because I have their support, it's been a lot of ups and downs.

You know, for people starting out, I always say it's not going to be a straight line. I think that's why I appreciate some of the girls that are still out here and really admire seeing how they've gone through ups and downs and how they thrive after going through some really tough times.

Sometimes I wish maybe my road would've been a little bit easier than it's been, but ultimately, I feel like I have no regrets. It challenged me many times, but I kept standing up and I kept trying to do my best.

At the end, like it led me to this moment and the life that I have today, and that I'm extremely grateful for. So it's not like I would take anything back. Just very grateful for all the people that I met along the way and who enabled me to live my dream.

You know, it's been really cool to call this my job because it doesn't feel like I worked a day in my life so far.

Q. Now that news is out, obviously like you said, you had played through this season knowing these are the last and taking that privately. Is there any sense of relief going into this weekend? Are you happy that it's out so you can hear from friends and acquaintances? Going into the golf this weekend do you think you'll play more freely because of it?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I think when I thought about, how would I approach it, and that's why I always felt like I don't want like a farewell tour or something like that. That's a moment for me and my loved ones.

I felt like just announcing the week of. I had a nightmare coming from Canada. I mean, I had canceled and delayed flights and took me 22 hours to get from Canada to Boston. There was one point on Monday I was sitting on the airport floor in Toronto crying because I was going to miss my retirement dinner on Monday night with my team.

But commissioner let me skip the player meeting yesterday so I could spend some time with them. But I don't know how it's going to hit me, but I'm just very grateful for this, what this game has given me.

Q. Just had one more. You've obviously been around for so long. Can you pick one thing that's like the biggest change you've seen on the Tour in women's golf in the last 20 years, in your view?

ANNA NORDQVIST: I think the biggest thing, like my rookie year, we had 22 events. We were going through a financial crisis and there wasn't a lot of tournaments. I didn't have my full Tour card when I came on Tour and had to work my way on.

You know, with Mike Whan coming in, and I think I'm the only one probably left that's played under four different commissioners. We've just seen a big change in how all the companies stepped up with the prize money.

I feel like it enabled us now to have a bigger tomorrow out here. I mean, I kind of always been on my own. Like my family has been very, very supportive but they're back in Sweden. You can't really choose when you see them. I got to see them two weeks ago and it was the first time in a year that I got to see them.

So that's obviously a lot of sacrifices. Now with the Tour, playing for bigger money and more tournaments. It's enabled you to basically have loved ones out and have a bigger team around you so you don't have to feel as lonely. So I think that's like huge.

Also being able to play some of the golf courses that we are. Like I never played Pebble Beach until we played the U.S. Open there a few years ago. There is a lot of tournaments that come to like fantastic venues.

I mean, getting to play Carnoustie is obviously going to be a lifelong memory for me. I think it's just so important for us to show the world how great we are.

I'm excited for the Solheim Cup obviously in two weeks because I think it's in such a central location in Europe. I hope everyone will get to experience what I got to experience as a young girl going to Solheim Cup in Barsebäck in 2003. That's ultimately where my dream kind of started and triggered something in me, and here I am today.

Yeah, it's amazing what you can do if it you have a dream and you work hard.

Q. This is kind of a rare day in golf when a professional player announces what you're announcing today. The question I have is: Did you research how any other players may have done this? Most of the players sort of just fade away. Did you do any research so to speak before you decided this?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Not really. I mean, obviously Stacy Lewis was my rookie class in 2009; Michelle Wie was my rookie class in 2009; Brittany Lincicome has been one of my best friends for years. I've obviously been close to them and seeing their journeys and being inspired by them.

I feel like it was always important to me is like listen to my heart and doing things the way I want to do them. I feel like so many times I fall into traps just listening to what everyone else thinks I should do. That's also why I kind of kept it quiet. This is really my time. In order for me to be able to do it, like I just want to do it in a way that I want to do it.

So I think like when I look back at my journey, it was all about being grateful. That's why I kind of like drafted that letter. I was like it has nothing to do -- at the end of the day it has nothing to do with the amount of trophies or like -- I just feel like what I'm the most grateful for is being able to live my dream and also like all the amazing people that I met along the way, so -- and how grateful I am for actually having the opportunity to be a professional golfer.

So I think that's where the idea grew. And being able to work with Sarah and the LPGA team on drafting the video, they were very in tune with listening to what I wanted to do, and so that's what I did.

Then I'm in the process of writing the speech for the Solheim Cup in two weeks and it's the same thing. It's like, yes, you can listen to what everyone else says, but it's really my moment to be like, okay, well, how can I do this from my view and my eyes.

So I think that's how my whole retirement kind of story came about.

Q. You're obviously very busy for the next few weeks. After that, what are you most excited for?

ANNA NORDQVIST: Yeah, I mean, it's probably going to hit me. I don't get home until Tuesday night after Solheim Cup. It's probably going to hit me right then. Like I'm sure it's going to feel empty or the high is going to be very high or the low is going to be very low.

I just really don't know. For the last 18 months to a year I've been working so hard on the Solheim Cup on top of my own playing career. I kind of forget about myself many times.

Yeah, I mean, I really don't know what the future has in store for me, but I love to stay involved in the game of golf. I feel like it's give everyone me so much. I hope I can keep giving back to golf because it's my passion. It's given me so much.

But also I'm looking forward to spend some time with loved ones. I have barely seen my family in the last year or missing all those birthdays and trips. So hopefully be able to join them on a few.

And a big dream of mine is to become a mother one day. It's something I'm going to keep dreaming of.

Q. What has been your favorite part of playing on Tour?

ANNA NORDQVIST: My favorite part has definitely been all the people I got to meet. It's pretty cool to have friends from all over the world and seeing all their different cultures. To see like how one common passion in golf has brought us all together.

THE MODERATOR: I'll wrap it up with one. If you could sum up your entire career, all your incredible accomplishments - nine Solheim Cups, three majors, nine LPGA wins - what would you want your legacy to be in just a few sentences?

ANNA NORDQVIST: That's a big question. (Smiling.) Well, I'm very proud of what I've done. You know, it's hard on Tour. It's hard winning. But I dreamed of playing one Solheim Cup and I've gotten to play nine and now I'm the captain, which is like a once-in-a-lifetime experience and probably the proudest moment in my career.

I think looking back, not having a straight or not having a straight road, it's ups and downs and I've fallen so many times and I kept standing up and fighting through.

So if anything, I hope to show a lot of women that we can do this, but also, you know, keep fighting for what you want and the life you want and the life you want to live.

THE MODERATOR: On behalf of the LPGA, thank you for everything you've done for the game, for us, and we just congratulate you in this moment. Good luck this week.

ANNA NORDQVIST: Thank you.