Camilla Lennarth: Former Alabama Crimson Tide Standout Leads Women’s British Open

Camilla Lennarth may be a little-known second year golfer from the University of Alabama, but she’s poised to make a big splash at the Women’s British Open.

She birdied the 18th hole on Thursday to tie Morgan Pressel for the lead in the tournament, a strong end to a bogey-free round that included three birdies.

There is a strong pack right at Lennarth’s heals, with seven players tied for third place one stroke behind her and another seven golfers who are two strokes behind.

But if she were able to hold off the challengers and win the Women’s British Open, it would be quite a coming out party for Camilla Lennarth.

The Swedish-born and raised golfer had a strong career at Alabama, earning All-American honors, but on the Symetra Tour has only two top 40 finishes and a career winning total of a little more than $11,000.

For Lennarth, golf started out as a way to make friends at her family’s lake house in Sweden when she was eight years old.

“It was due to my dad,” she said. “We had a lake house just outside Stockholm, Sweden, so I was there in the summers and he just wanted me to make some friends because it was a new place my parents bought. He loves to play golf so he took me to the golf course and put me in summer golf camp. I didn’t really enjoy playing golf, I just liked hanging out with my friends, eating cinnamon buns and chit chat all day long.”

Her golf game later took her to the United States, where she stood out at the University of Alabama. But Camilla Lennarth had no misgivings about why she was there.

“I didn’t really go there to study,” she said. “I’ve never been a studious person: I just wanted to play golf.”

Judging by her lead at the Women’s British open, Camilla Lennarth may have had her priorities right