Daniel Taylor with Norway’s Mariell Bruun
Anna Nordqvist could not be present in Sweden at the tournament that carries her name. But there is however a major winner on the course anyway during the week.
I am here to help the Norwegian players, says Daniel Taylor, Pernilla Lindberg’s caddie.
Taylor is both caddie and fiancé to Pernilla Lindberg – the Swedish LPGA-player who captured her first major win at the ANA Inspiration when she defeated Inbee Park and Jennifer Song in a play-off that lasted eight holes.
That was in April. This week he is in Sweden during the Anna Nordqvist Västerås Open, 9–11 of August, on the LET Access Series.
“Pernilla is home in Florida and I am here in Sweden. She was jealous that I get to come to Sweden during the summer and she didn’t. She was here a month ago but … I am going to meet her in Florida on Sunday and then we leave again on Monday for the next three tournaments on the LPGA tour,” says Daniel Taylor.
He is in Västerås to help the Norwegian team during the week; Karoline Lund, Celine Borge, Tonje Daffinrud among others. The first round he caddied for Mariell Bruun.
“Jon Karlsen, the putting coach, asked me if I wanted to come here this week and coach the Norwegian players; how they prepare, strategy, caddying, how to find a caddie, all the things that involve being on tour.”
Pernilla Lindberg is from Bollnäs, a small town about 300 kilometres north of Stockholm.
“I have been in Sweden maybe seven or eight times but never in Västerås or out west of Stockholm. We always go to Stockholm or to Bollnäs,” said Taylor.
Has life become different after the major win?
Not for me, it’s more different for Pernilla. A lot more people recognise her, more interviews, photos … It’s a little busier for her. Since we are a couple as well we always do interviews caddie/player and not just player. Pernilla e-mailed me yesterday saying that next week when we play a LPGA-tournament the Golf Channel wants to do a question and answer with the caddie and the player so we have to plan a little bit for that.
What kind of advice do you give to the Norwegian players?
The first couple of days I just watch and see. See how they prepare, see if there is anything they maybe don’t think about or maybe they can do better. I ask them a lot of questions; how they play the golf course, strategy, things like that. To see what each player might have to do to get to the next level.
What do you think of the level of standard on this tour?
It is good. It’s really hard to compare to the LPGA tour for instance. The conditions are not the same and the course here is shorter, but everybody is good.
Who is going to jump up from the Norwegian players?
Everybody can play golf. It’s just who has got the right mentality, who wants it the most and who wants to put the effort in. And obviously you got to have a good technique as well. I am going to update Jon Karlsen on all these different things and help him plan their training for the next year or so. And maybe we can get more Norwegian players on the LPGA Tour in the future.
