Golf was first played in Scotland in the 15th century on the Old Course at St. Andrews. The sport’s governing body, the aptly named Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, was born on these grounds. Centuries after the idea of an 18-hole round took root, golf is played under uniform and transparent rules regardless of where in the world a person tees off.
On Sunday, 26-year-old Matilda Castren became the first Finnish woman to win on the LPGA Tour. That may not seem like a big deal to you, me or the wider world of golf, yet for Castren, the women who preceded her and those to follow, winning at golf’s highest level marks a milestone moment in Finland's evolution as a golfing nation.