By: Brittany Schnorr, Manager of PR & Media Relations
Laura Davies’ foray into golf began like any other young girl her age. She wanted to desperately beat her older brother at whatever he was doing! That competitive fire drove Davies to take up the game. In fact if it wasn’t for her brother Tony, Davies would have never taken up the game.
To help her in her quest, when she was 14 years old, her mother and stepfather purchased her first set of golf clubs from a local golf course. Davies recalled they were a set of MacGregor Tourney irons. After more practice and a fresh set of clubs, Davies said she “dusted” her brother Tony by the time she was 16 years old. In just two short years, Davies was down to an 8-handicap and started playing competitively.
A quick fast forward to today reveals that Davies has firmly etched her name into golf history.
With more than 70 worldwide victories to her credit including four Major Championships, Davies is quite deserving of her induction. Known as one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, Davies continues to use her length to power herself into the record books.
It’s only fitting that Davies’ success in the majors is highlighted, particularly her wins in the LPGA Championship in 1994 and 1996. When LPGA Commissioner Charles Mechem, Jr. presented the 1994 championship trophy to Davies, he called her “the greatest female golfer in the world.”
Davies is considered by many to be the most successful female British player of all time. She has represented Europe a record 12 times in the Solheim Cup. To date, she has amassed 25 total points, the most points won by either team with a 22-18-6 record.
In 1988, she was named a Member of the British Empire (MBE) by Queen Elizabeth II. That high honor was followed by being named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2000. Most recently Davies received the highest honor presented by the Queen as Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).
“It is extraordinary, really, to be a part of the history of golf,” said Laura Davies. “If someone suggested to me that when I was 16 or 17, just starting to be a half-decent amateur, that one day I’d be sitting here in the Hall of Fame and I’d be part of it… no, not in a million years.”
This week, she is in action at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a tournament she won in 1994 and in 1996.
Check out Laura Davies’ interviews on the World Golf Hall of Fame YouTube channel. For more information on Laura Davies’ highlights and the 2015 Induction process, click here.
