Laura Davies


Dame Laura Jane Davies, is an English female professional golfer. She has achieved the status of her nation's most accomplished female golfer of modern times, being the first non-American to finish at the top of the LPGA money list as well as winning the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit a record seven times: in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2006.
As of 2018, Davies has 85 professional wins worldwide, with 20 on the LPGA Tour, including four majors. From 1985 to 2010, she won at least one individual title somewhere in the world every season, except for 2005, and was the first golfer, male or female, to win tournaments on five continents in one year. She is a member of U.S.-based LPGA Tour and a life member of the Ladies European Tour. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.

Amateur career

A native of Coventry, Davies began as an amateur international player for Great Britain, compiling a notable record. She was the 1983 English Intermediate Champion, the 1984 Welsh Open Stroke Play Champion and the South Eastern Champion in both 1983 and 1984. She was also a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team in 1984. She turned professional in 1985.

Professional career

Davies started her professional career on the WPGET in 1985 when she won both Rookie of the Year and Order of Merit titles. She subsequently won the Sports Journalists' Association Peter Wilson Trophy as International Newcomer of the Year 1985. She repeated the Order of Merit win in 1986 having won four titles, one of which was the British Women's Open.
In 1987 she went to the United States and won the U.S. Women's Open in an 18-hole playoff against Ayako Okamoto and JoAnne Carner. It was a victory that led the LPGA to amend its constitution. Davies was not a member of the LPGA Tour, so the LPGA changed its constitution to grant Davies automatic membership. Since 1988 Laura Davies has played on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours. In 1988 Davies won twice as a rookie on the LPGA Tour, three times on the Ladies European Tour and once in Japan, becoming the first woman ever to win on all three major Tours in the same year.
In 1990 she was a member of the inaugural European Solheim Cup Team. She returned as part of every European team through 2011, the only player to do so. Davies is the all-time leader in points won in the Solheim Cup, breaking the record of Annika Sörenstam by winning a Saturday fourballs match partnered by Melissa Reid on 24 September 2011. Davies went on the increase her record point total to 25 by halving her singles match with Juli Inkster on 25 September 2011, as the Europeans captured the Solheim Cup for the fourth time.
In 1994 she was the first golfer, male or female, to win on five different golf tours in one calendar year: US, Europe, Asia, Japan and Australia. and became the first European player to be ranked unofficial number one in the world. She was named the Sports Journalists' Association Sportswoman of the Year 1995 and 1996.
Davies is the only player to participate in the first 12 Solheim Cup matches on either the United States or European side.
Davies was part of the LPGA team at the Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge three times between 1994 and 1996.
Her four consecutive victories at the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International between 1994 and 1997 made Davies the first LPGA player to win the same tournament in four consecutive years.
She represented England at the Women's World Cup of Golf in 2005, 2006 and 2007. She was a Captain's pick for the International Team at the 2006 Lexus Cup.
In 2004 Davies was the first woman to compete in the men's European Tour, entering the ANZ Championship in Sydney, Australia. She failed to make the cut, finishing second to last. She currently holds the LPGA Tour record for most eagles in a season, scoring 19 during the 2004 season.
Davies was the first woman to compete in a European Senior Tour event. She played in the 2018 Shipco Masters in Denmark, from the same tees as her male opponents.
In 2018, aged 55, Davies finished runner up at Bank of Hope Founders Cup on the LPGA Tour, including shooting a Saturday round of 63.
On 15 July 2018, Davies claimed the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open at Chicago Golf Club by shooting 16-under-par for a 10-shot victory over fellow Hall of Famer Juli Inkster. Then on 17 October, she followed that up by capturing her second major, the Senior LPGA Championship at French Lick Resort in Indiana with a score of 8-under-par, a four shot margin over Helen Alfredsson and Silvia Cavalleri.

Other awards and honours

Davies was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1988, Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2000, and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 Birthday Honours, all for services to golf.
In January 2013, the Golf Writers Association of America announced that Davies would be the year's recipient of the ASAP Sports/Jim Murray Award, which recognises a golfer for "cooperation, quotability and accommodation with the media." The other finalists were Luke Donald and Greg Norman. The award will be presented at the annual GWAA dinner at Augusta, Georgia, on 10 April. In February 2015, Davies was announced as one of the first female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
On 18 April 2016, Davies was appointed the first honorary president of the Parliamentary Golf Group, an all-party organisation of MPs working to improve the state of golf in the United Kingdom. On 12 July 2016, Davies was presented with the "Spirit of Golf" Award from the Golf Foundation in a ceremony at Royal Troon. Davies is the first recipient of the prestigious honour.

Off-course activities

Davies published an autobiography in 1996.
Davies enjoys all sports and is an avid football fan and a Liverpool F.C. supporter. She organises the annual football match at the Evian Masters tournament in France and she has in the past been fined by the Ladies European Tour for watching an England versus Spain European Championship football match on a portable television during the final round of the 1996 Evian Masters in France, a tournament she nevertheless won.
She is also the captain of the Rest of the World team in the annual Rest of the World V Australia cricket match held during the ANZ Ladies Masters.
In 2001, Davies joined the BBC Sport commentary team member at The Open Championship. and has regularly appeared in the commentary box for major golfing events on the BBC.
Davies has built a nine-hole golf course in the garden of her house.
In 2004, she hosted a celebrity fourball tournament for the charity Sport Relief.
Davies has always had an interest in gambling, having formerly been a bookmaker's assistant, and this interest led to her becoming a racehorse owner.
In 2006 Davies completed a 56-mile charity walk along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 2012, she was named by the Golf Club Managers' Association's Golf Club Management magazine as the 32nd most powerful person in British golf due to her ability to inspire girls and women to play the game.

Football career

In 1997, 33-year-old Davies signed a four-year contract worth $1 as part of a publicity stunt for newly established American soccer team Myrtle Beach Seadawgs in the USISL D-3 Pro League. She played in one league game for the club, a six-minute cameo in a 4–1 loss against New Jersey Imperials on 18 April 1997. The future United States national soccer team international Tim Howard made his away debut in the game. Howard wrote in his book that the Seadawgs had offered a bonus of $500 to any player who could assist Davies score a goal.

Professional wins (87)

LPGA Tour wins (20)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of victoryRunner-up
126 Jul 1987U.S. Women's Open−3 Playoff JoAnne Carner
Ayako Okamoto
220 Mar 1988Circle K LPGA Tucson Open−10 1 stroke Robin Walton
35 Jun 1988Jamie Farr Toledo Classic−11 3 strokes Nancy Lopez
418 Jun 1989Lady Keystone Open−9 1 stroke Pat Bradley
510 Mar 1991Inamori Classic−11 4 strokes Lynn Connelly
Judy Dickinson
616 May 1993McDonald's Championship−7 1 stroke Sherri Steinhauer
720 Mar 1994Standard Register PING−15 4 strokes Elaine Crosby
Beth Daniel
88 May 1994Sara Lee Classic−13 1 stroke Meg Mallon
915 May 1994McDonald's LPGA Championship−5 3 strokes Alice Ritzman
1019 Mar 1995Standard Register PING−12 1 stroke Beth Daniel
1123 Apr 1995Chick-fil-A Charity Championship−15 4 strokes Kelly Robbins
1224 Mar 1996Standard Register PING−8 1 stroke Kristal Parker-Manzo
1312 May 1996McDonald's LPGA ChampionshipE 1 stroke Julie Piers
144 Aug 1996du Maurier Classic−11 2 strokes Nancy Lopez
Karrie Webb
1525 Aug 1996Star Bank LPGA Classic−12 3 strokes Pat Hurst
Maggie Will
1623 Mar 1997Standard Register PING−15 Playoff Kelly Robbins
1722 Nov 1998PageNet Tour Championship−11 4 strokes Brandie Burton
Pat Hurst
Karrie Webb
1813 Feb 2000Los Angeles Women's Championship−5 3 strokes Carin Koch
Janice Moodie
Michele Redman
197 May 2000The Philips Invitational−5 2 strokes Dottie Pepper
2010 Jun 2001Wegmans Rochester International−9 3 strokes Maria Hjorth
Wendy Ward

LPGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11987U.S. Women's Open JoAnne Carner
Ayako Okamoto		Won 18-hole playoff
21992ShopRite LPGA Classic Anne Marie PalliLost to birdie on first extra hole
31992Rail Charity Golf Classic Nancy LopezLast to par on first extra hole
41994JAL Big Apple Classic Beth DanielLost to birdie on first extra hole
51995Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf Annika SörenstamLost to birdie on first extra hole
61996State Farm Rail Classic Michelle McGann
Barb Whitehead		McGann won with birdie on third extra hole
71996Toray Japan Queens Cup Mayumi HiraseLost to par on third extra hole
81997Standard Register PING Kelly RobbinsWon with par on first extra hole
91997Giant Eagle LPGA Classic Tammie GreenLost to eagle on fifth extra hole
101999PageNet Championship Se Ri Pak
Karrie Webb		Pak won with birdie on first extra hole

Ladies European Tour wins (45)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
111 Nov 2012ISPS Handa Legends Tour Open Championship−5 2 strokes Beth Daniel, Barb Moxness
215 Jul 2018U.S. Senior Women's Open−16 10 strokes Juli Inkster
37 Sep 2018BJ's Charity Championship −10 2 strokes Patti Rizzo and Michele Redman,
Donna Caponi and Laurie Rinker
417 Oct 2018Senior LPGA Championship−8 4 strokes Helen Alfredsson, Silvia Cavalleri

Major championships

Wins (4)

1 In an 18-hole playoff: Davies 71, Okamoto 73, Carner 74.

Results timeline

Results not in chronological order before 2019.
^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.
^^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013.
CUT = missed the half-way cut.
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied

Summary

*Includes match play and other events without a cut.

1 Davies's earnings of $37,549 at the Honda PTT LPGA Thailand were considered unofficial under LPGA rules and are not included in this total.

Team appearances

Amateur
Professional