Who the heck is Anna Marina Hedlund?

Howdy speedgolf family! You’re reading This Week in Speedgolf.

I missed last week’s finish line, so we’re combining two issues. Please add seven days to my running time.

We’ve got five tournament recaps: a 51-second finish in Belgium, a remarkable debut in Sweden, a Cupp-family trophy haul in New York, Japan’s final Worlds-selection points, and singles and pairs at Espoo Ringside.

Here’s what’s happening in speedgolf this week.

Hardy wins by 51 seconds. The players want 18 more holes.

James Hardy needed every bit of his golf advantage at the BeNeLux Speedgolf Open.

Hardy shot 80 in 43:00 for 123:00. Belgium’s Olivier Guisset ran 1:09 faster, but took two more strokes. The difference: 51 seconds, and Hardy’s third major Open title of 2026 after France and the United States.

Will Robson finished third at 124:24, with Marko Kuningas fourth at 125:36. Four players inside 2:36. Plenty of individual shots to think about on the drive home.

Bev Fentiman made the women’s result considerably less stressful, winning with 87 in 57:14 for 144:14, a 21:34 margin over Kathy Leppard.

The feedback I received afterward was unusually consistent. Hardy and Robson praised Filip Beerens’ organization, volunteers, and scoring. Robson particularly liked scanning a wristband to start and finish his own round. Kathy liked a volunteer app that identified approaching players even after overtakes changed their order.

🎥 Filip Beerens’ championship recap

But Hardy and Robson both wanted 36 championship holes, not 18. For athletes crossing borders, they felt one round wasn’t enough.

They also questioned Sunday’s separate par-3 sprint. Robson felt the time-focused format encouraged one-club play and made golf too incidental. Hardy, who sat out Sunday injured, likewise argued that golf scoring has to matter.

🎥 Kathy Leppard’s Sunday sprint recap

BeNeLux Speedgolf Open · Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium · August 22–23; championship August 22 · Schemakkelijk

Palmberg three-peats. Hedlund arrives immediately.

Photo credit: Adam Christensen Holtenäs

Anna Marina Hedlund opened the Swedish Speedgolf Championship with 74 in 48:52 for 122:52. I think I can speak for all speedgolfers when I say: “Who???”

According to Mikael Palmberg, that was her first competitive speedgolf round. She finished second in the 36-hole Open Elite competition at 253:44 and also won Sunday’s women’s classification.

That’s a fairly efficient introduction.

I’d love to see what she could do at Worlds. But Mikael tells me golf pro school will keep her from attending this year. For now, she’s an athlete to follow rather than another name to add to the New Zealand field.

Carl Palmberg won his third consecutive Open Elite title at 234:00, closing with 74 in 38:25 for 112:25. Mikael’s favorite detail: that round included a double bogey with four putts on the 17th. I guess there’s always room for improvement.

🎥 Speedgolf Sweden’s championship recap

Joakim Wikland retained Senior 50+ and finished third in Open Elite. His post supplies the appropriate explanation: “I don’t have any hobbies. A hobby is something you do on the side. This consumes my entire life.”

I suspect more than a few readers understand.

And Simon Persson won Junior and finished eighth in Elite, in what Mikael described as his first appearance. The results include ten juniors. Between Persson and Hedlund, Sweden gave us plenty of reasons to look beyond the familiar champions.

📷 Adam Christensen Holtenäs’ Swedish photo album

Swedish Speedgolf Championship · Allerum, Sweden · August 22–23 · Event information

The Cupp family keeps the trophies close

The New York State Speedgolf Open at Rome Country Club produced four Cupp-family division winners: Wes, Lauren, Ted, and Leslie.

Wes won the men’s 18-hole event with 78 in 46:47 for 124:47, beating Jim Davis by 3:49. Davis ran 3:11 faster, but Wes needed seven fewer strokes.

Lauren shot 73 in 53:07 for 126:07. She was the only listed women’s 18-hole finisher, but that doesn’t make the round any less worth noting. Ted and Leslie took the boys’ and girls’ nine-hole titles.

📷 Lauren Cupp’s winner post

I like the range of ways this event gave people to participate: adult 18-hole and nine-hole divisions, junior divisions, and an 18-hole FlingGolf competition. Jonathan Bellingham won that last one with 89 in 45:08.

Not every tournament needs a Worlds implication. Sometimes it’s a local event with several ways to play, a good round from Lauren, and a family that may need another shelf.

New York State Speedgolf Open · Rome Country Club, Rome, New York · August 24 · Presented by Strategic Financial Services

Ota and Haga win Chigasaki, Team Japan leaderboard is final

Jin Ota shot 35 over nine holes to win the Chigasaki Speedgolf Open, with Masahiko Maeba second. Shingo Bamba won Senior and Meguna Haga won Women.

The short event at GDO Chigasaki Golf Links awarded 60% of standard 18-hole tour points. More importantly, it closed Japan’s ranking-selection window for Worlds.

The final standings award the seven ranking places to:

• Men: Ota and Maeba, ahead of third-placed Tatsuya Shinmoto.
• Senior: Yasuki Ogawa, Bamba, Shinta Matsuoka, and Atsushi Omura.
• Women: Haga.

Joe Matsui finished fifth in the senior standings, 79.69 points behind Omura and outside the four ranking places. So the close senior selection race we’ve been following ends without a last-event change at the cutoff.

The important distinction: these are ranking allocations, not confirmation of the entire traveling team. Athletes still have to accept, and Japan’s selection policy handles the five first-come places and any declined spots separately.

Chigasaki Speedgolf Open · GDO Chigasaki Golf Links, Kanagawa, Japan · August 29 · Results

Heinonen wins solo; Hallanoro and Palosuo win together

Espoo Ringside Speedgolf offered nine holes of individual competition and nine holes of pairs at Espoo Ringside Golf. Quick note: each stroke counted for 30 seconds, not a minute. Without going into too much detail, I think this is something every nine hole event should do. Golf score matters too much otherwise.

Ville Heinonen won the individual event with the fastest run, 16:52, despite taking four more strokes than Pertti Palosuo and Lauri Alakuijala, who finished second and third.

The golf advantage went the other way in pairs. Milla Hallanoro joined Palosuo as World Champs, shooting 37 in 20:01 for 38:31. Heinonen and Alakuijala, Gringos Rapidos, ran 2:22 faster but needed seven more strokes. Hallanoro and Palosuo won by 1:08. Full results

Ringside Speedgolf · Espoo Ringside Golf, Finland · August 28 · Nine-hole events; 30 seconds per stroke

¹ The published winner’s total doesn’t match the listed components: 16:52 plus 43 half-minute strokes equals 38:22. Heinonen is first either way.

Almost there…

Thanks to everyone who is supporting my trip to the Speedgolf World Championships in November. We are 73% of the way to our goal.

If you want to put a little wind in my sails, buy me a coffee on Ko-Fi and help me get to New Zealand, where I’ll be publishing daily.

This week in speedgolf media

🎬 This is speedgolf and This girl can - a British Speedgolf double feature. We need more slo-mo in speedgolf. We spend all that effort going fast, but we look so cool going slow.

🏃 Kathy Leppard’s top tips for new speedgolfers

Upcoming speedgolf

Find your next tournament or meetup on Speedgolf Directory. Here’s what I’m looking forward to.

• Sep 6 — 2026 British Speedgolf Championship
  🇬🇧 Sunningdale Heath Golf Club, Cross Road, Sunningdale, Ascot, UK · Sunningdale, Ascot SL5 9RX
  One of Europe’s oldest and most distinctive speedgolf titles returns to Sunningdale Heath with a big field, a fast compact course, and a top-20 cut that turns the day into a true championship test. Sign up »
• Sep 6 — Missouri Speedgolf Open
  🇺🇸 Horton Smith Golf Course · Springfield, MO
  A Horton Smith major for players who want one of America’s fastest tracks, a deep local scene, and a real shot at something historic. Sign up »
• Sep 13 — 29th Annual Bob-n-Broc’ Speedgolf Tournament
  🇺🇸 Emerald Greens Golf Course — Gold Course · Hastings, MN
  The world’s longest-running speedgolf tournament returns to Emerald Greens Golf Course in Hastings, Minnesota, on Sunday, September 13, 2026, starting at 6:45 AM. Sign up »
• Sep 19 — Speedgolf SM 2026 — SM Foursome (Swedish Championship)
  🇸🇪 Haningestrand GC
  A rare alternate-shot title where teamwork, rhythm, and trust matter just as much as speed, making it one of the most distinctive events on the Swedish calendar. Sign up »
• Sep 27 — 3rd Annual Mohonk Speedgolf Challenge
  🇺🇸 Mohonk Golf Course · New Paltz, NY
  The 3rd Annual Mohonk Speedgolf Challenge will be held at Mohonk Golf Course on Sunday, September 27, 2026, with an afternoon start expected around 3:00 PM. Sign up »
• Oct 3 — Taranaki Speedgolf Open
  🇳🇿 Manukorihi Golf Club · Waitara, Taranaki
  A two-day, 36-hole Speedgolf tournament plus a 9-hole challenge at Manukorihi Golf Club, open to beginners through elite players. Sign up »
• Oct 4 — Australian Par 3 Speedgolf Championships
  🇦🇺 Kyabram Parkland Golf Club · Kyabram, VIC
  Speedgolf Australia brings its Par 3 championship to Kyabram for a test built around short-game precision, running speed, and early spring sharpness. Sign up »
• Oct 5 — Nagoya Bayside Classic
  🇯🇵 Wood Friends Nagoya Port Golf Club · Nagoya, Aichi
  A weekday Japanese tour stop on a quick bayside track, ideal for players who love smooth movement, sea-level speed, and a strong chance to post numbers. Sign up »