School of golf champs: Inside the Swedish academy breeding Team Europe’s Solheim and Ryder Cup stars

Days start with a punishing schedule that’s more Mark Wahlberg than Mark O’Meara, but the results are extraordinary — four of Europe’s current 24 Ryder and Solheim Cup team graduated from this unassuming Swedish boarding school. Lawrence Ostlere talks to the principal producing golf’s next wave of global superstars

Rising Swedish stars Maja Stark, Linn Grant and Ludvig Aberg (Getty Images)

“Of course, this is what we want to happen,” says school principal Anders Nilsson. “But for three students, in the same year group, at the same time? That’s unbelievable.”

Nilsson runs Filbornaskolan, a school in Helsingborg which draws some of the most talented young athletes from across Sweden. It has produced Olympic swimmers and professional footballers including Helsingborg’s most famous export, Henrik Larsson. But perhaps the school’s greatest achievement will unfold over the next two weeks.

Team Europe have selected 24 golfers to face USA for the Solheim and Ryder Cups over the coming days, and remarkably, four of them attended Filbornaskolan. One is the experienced Madelene Sagstrom and the other three – Linn Grant, Maja Stark and Ludvig Aberg – are recent classmates who have quickly established themselves among the best players in the world.