by Golf is considered as one of the most expensive sports in the world. The cost of coaching, membership fees, attire, golf clubs, and balls are quite pricey. However, the sport offers different advantages like the opportunity to socialize and has no age restrictions.
Moreover, golf is an excellent workout for players to use all body functions in playing. Of course, this sport is also highly competitive, with a pool of iconic golfers known by many fans of the sport. In this article, let’s focus on the seven most influential women golfers in the last decade and their contributions to the sport’s success.
Lexi Thompson is an American professional golfer who was the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open at 12. She turned professional in 2010 and signed sponsorship deals with Red Bull and Cobra-PUMA Golf. She’s a prominent name in golf betting with 15 professional wins, 11 LPGA Tours, 2 Ladies European Tours, and 1 LPGA of Japan Tour.
Besides her impressive professional wins, Thompson also received honors like the LPGA Vare Trophy and Race to the CME Globe in 2017.
Born in Miami, Florida, Cristine Kerr rose to prominence in her first professional tournament at the Ironwood FUTURES Classic in April 1995. After graduating from high school, Kerr turned professional at age 18. She won 20 LPGA Tours, 1 Ladies European, and 1 Epson Tour.
Cristie Kerr received the 2006 LPGA Komen Award, awarded by LPGA and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. She received the honors for her foundation Birdies for Breast Cancer, which aims to find a cure for breast cancer.
Shanshan “Jenny” Feng is a professional golfer from China. Feng started playing golf at age 10 and became a professional golfer in 2017. Moreover, she was the first female professional golfer from China to join the LPGA Tour. Feng won 10 LPGA Tours, 7 Ladies European Tours, and 7 LPGA of Japan Tours.
She also notably won a bronze medal in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Feng also received the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit in 2015.
Suzann Pettersen is a Norwegian professional golfer who is from Oslo, Norway. At age 19, she became a professional golfer and secured 11th place in her Ladies European Tour at the 2001 LET Qualifying School. She has earned 21 professional wins, with 15 LPGA Tours and 7 Ladies European Tours.
In 2001, Pettersen received the Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year. She also earned the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit in 2013.
Brooke Henderson is a Canadian professional golfer from Smith Falls, Ontario, Canada. She did her initial training at the Rideau Lakes Golf and Country Club. She turned professional in 2014. In April 2015, she set a tourney record with her 36-hole score at the LPGA Tour’s Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. Throughout her career, she won 13 LPGA Tours and 1 Epson Tour.
Henderson received the 2019 Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame People’s Choice Award, 2019 LPGA Founders Award, 2019 ESPY Award, Best Female Golfer, and 2018 Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year, among many other accolades.
Stacey Lewis is an American professional golfer who turned professional in 2008. In college, Lewis was a four-time All-American at the University of Arkansas. She joined the LPGA Tour in 2009 and won 13 total. Besides winning LPGA Tours, Lewis also won 1 LPGA of Japan Tour.
Moreover, Lewis received the 20212 and 2014 LPGA Player of the Year and GWAA Player of the Year. Furthermore, she was awarded the LPGA Vare Trophy in 2013 and 2014. She was also the LPGA Tour Money Winner in 2014.
Ariya Jutanugarn is a Thai professional golfer born in Bangkok, Thailand. She was the first Thai golfer to win a first major championship. In June 2017, Jutanugarn was named the number one ranked golfer in the Women’s World Golf Rankings. In total, she won 12 LPGA Tours and 3 Ladies European Tours.
She turned professional in 2012 and joined the Ladies European Tour in the following year. It was in 2015 when she became a member of the LPGA Tour. Her most remarkable awards include the LPGA Player of the Year and LPGA Tour Money Winner in 2016 and 2018.
Lydia Ko is a New Zealand Professional golfer who turned professional in 2013. She was born in Seoul, South Korea, and attended Korea University in college. She won 19 LPGA Tours, 7 Ladies European Tours, and 1 LPGA of Korea Tour. In 2012, Ko was named the youngest golfer to win a professional golf tour event called the Bing Lee/Samsung Women’s NSW Open on the ALPG Tour.
Ko received the LPGA Vare Trophy in 2021 and 2022. She was also named the LPGA Player of the Year and the LPGA Tour Money Winner in 2015 and 2022.
Yani Tseng is a Taiwanese professional golfer born in Guishan District, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. She was the youngest golfer to win five major championships, earning her the No. 1 rank in the Women’s World Golf Rankings for 109 consecutive weeks from 2011 to 2013. Tseng won a total of 27 professional wins after she turned professional in 2007. She won 15 LPGA Tours, 6 Ladies European Tours, 3 Ladies Asian Golf Tours, and 3 ALPG Tours.
Moreover, Tseng was awarded the 2010 and 2011 GWAA Female Player of the Year, the 2011 LPGA Vare Trophy and LPGA Tour Money Winner, and the 2010 and 2011 LPGA Tour Player of the Year.
Inbee Park
Inbee Park is a South Korean professional golfer born in Seoul, South Korea. Park began playing the sport at age ten and eventually turned professional in 2006. She has a total of 31 professional wins, with 21 LPGA Tours, 3 Ladies European Tours, 4 LPGA of Japan Tours, 1 LPGA of Korea Tour, and 1 ALPG Tour.
With an impressive record of wins, Parn received the 2013 GWAA Female Player of the Year and LPGA Player of the Year, the 2015 Rolex Annika Major Award, and the 2016 LPGA Hall of Fame Award, among many others, under her belt.
With over 450 million fans worldwide, golf remains one of the most popular sports events around the globe. It’s a game that anyone can enjoy, unlike football or basketball, requiring polished athletic ability to compete at any level. Most importantly, it’s not a men-dominated sport. Women are also influential in golf, just like the names we have covered on our list!
