Laura Davies

Laura Davies was the first non-American to finish at the top of the LPGA money list as well as winning the Ladies European Tour (LET) Order of Merit a record seven times: in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004, and 2006. She led the LPGA Tour money list in 1994. Davies has 84 professional wins worldwide, with 20 on the LPGA Tour, including four majors and 45 on the Ladies European Tour. From 1985 to 2010, she won at least one individual title in the world every season, except for 2005, and was the first male or female golfer to win tournaments on five continents in one year. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.
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 Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team in 1984. She turned professional in 1985.
Davies started her professional career on the Ladies' European Tour in 1985, when she won both Rookie of the Year and Order of Merit titles. 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.
Davies has been a full-time member since winning the 1987 U.S. Women's Open to the present. She has played in 589 events making 423 cuts. She has 130 top-10 finishes and has won $9,473,223, placing her 16 on the all-time career money list.
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 participate in the first 12 Solheim Cup matches, producing 25 points with a 22 win, 18 loss, 6 halve record. She formed a formidable partnership with Alison Nicholas, they played 9 times together and had a 5-4 record.
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. 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 and finished T-44th in a 60-person field. Davies has also played in around a dozen Legends Tour events, winning 2012 Handa Legends Open.
Davies was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1988, Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000, and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) 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 recognizes a golfer for "cooperation, quotability, and accommodation with the media." In February 2015, Davies was announced as one of the first female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
In April 2016, Davies was appointed the first honorary president of the Parliamentary Golf Group, an all-party organization of MPs working to improve the state of golf in the United Kingdom. In 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 honor.
She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015, but unfortunately, she missed the ceremony as her flight didn't get her to St. Andrews in time after she played in the U.S. Women's Open. Gary Player was known for his world travels, the female comparison is Davies, who is probably the most traveled female golfer of all-time playing all over the world.
Davies still plays a full schedule, she played in 20 LPGA and Ladies European Tour events, best finish was T-2nd in the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.
2018 was also a big success in senior golf. She won the inaugural U.S. Senior Women's Open shooting rounds of 71-71-66-68=276 (-16) to beat Juli Inkster by 10 shots and Trish Johnson by 12 shots.
With rounds of 68-70-70, she won the 2018 Senior LPGA Championship by four shots over Helen Alfredsson and Silvia Cavalleri.
2019 Notes: In defense of her Senior Women's Open title, shot rounds of 75-70-74-73=292 to finish T-9th, 7 shots back of winner Helen Alfredsson. Played in 12 LPGA events, made one cut T-24th at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.
2020 Notes: Played in ten events on both the LPGA and LET. On the LPGA, her best finish was 72th at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. On the LET best finish was T-15th at The Saudi Ladies Team International (won the individual part).
2021 Notes: She played in 11 LPGA events making four cuts, her best finish was T-43rd at the Cambia Portland Classic. She finished 3rd at the U.S. Senior Women's Open, she was nine shots back of winner Annika Sorenstam.
2022 Notes: She missed the cut in all five of her LPGA starts. She was T-5th at the U.S. Senior Women?s Open. She was the co-leader after three rounds and then shot 78 Sunday, including a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 12th hole, to fall back. Played in five LET events, making one cut, 64th at the Aramco Team Series - New York.
2023 Notes: Has missed the cut in two LPGA Tour events, finished T-5th at the U.S. Senior Women's Open, four shots back of the winner Jill McGill.
She has been doing more TV, working as an analyst/commentator, which she enjoys a lot. She did several men's British Open's for the BBC going back a few years, has done the last two Solheim Cups, and did the recent Ryder Cup for Sky Sports in Paris and Wisconsin. Laura is doing more for Sky Sports, including the British Open.