Women’s golf is a sport that is often overshadowed by its male counterpart. However, there have been many talented female golfers throughout history who have made their mark. In this blog, we will be counting down the top 10 female golfers of all time. These women have conquered the sport through their skills, determination, and passion. They are truly an inspiration to young aspiring female golfers and have helped pave the way for future generations. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Annika Sorenstam
Annika Sorenstam is a Swedish professional golfer who became the first woman to play on the PGA Tour in 58 years. She has won 72 official LPGA tournaments, and 10 major championships, and was the first female athlete to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Sorenstam is widely considered as one of the greatest female golfers in history.
Babe Zaharias
One of the most dominant athletes of her generation, Babe Zaharias excelled in every sport she tried—including golf. She is credited with popularizing the sport among women and is considered one of the best female golfers of all time.
Zaharias was born in Port Arthur, Texas, in 1911. As a child, she competed in track and field and basketball. After winning three Olympic gold medals in track and field at the Summer Olympics in 1932, she turned her attention to golf.
Zaharias became the first woman to compete against men on the PGA Tour when she qualified for the Los Angeles Open in 1934. She went on to win 10 major championship titles, including five U.S. Women’s Opens. She also won 41 LPGA Tour events—an impressive feat considering the tour didn’t exist until 1950.
At 6-foot-1, Zaharias was an imposing figure on the golf course. Her long drives earned her the nickname “Babe Didrikson Zaharias” after legendary baseball player Babe Ruth. But it was her iron play and short game that set her apart from other golfers—male or female.
Zaharias’ accomplishments were even more impressive given that she battled cancer throughout her career. In 1953, She was diagnosed with colon cancerand had surgery to remove part of her intestine. The cancer returned in 1955 and eventually spread to her liver.
Nancy Lopez
Nancy Lopez, one of the most successful female golfers of all time, dominated the sport in the late 1970s and early 1980s.She won 48 LPGA Tour events. In 1978, she became the youngest player to win four majors in a single season. As well as this, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987.
Patty Sheehan
Patty Sheehan is one of the most successful female golfers in history. She has won six major championships and over 40 LPGA Tour events. In 2000, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Sheehan began playing golf at the age of eight. She turned her hobby into a profession in 1979 and joined the LPGA Tour in 1980. She won the U.S. Women’s Open,her first major championship, in 1982. She went on to win five more majors: the LPGA Championship (1984, 1985), the Kraft Nabisco Championship (1988), and the du Maurier Classic (1992, 1993).
Sheehan’s other notable achievements include winning the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average on the LPGA Tour (1985, 1986, 1988), being named LPGA Player of the Year (1984, 1985, 1988), and winning the Solheim Cup with the United States team (1998).
Joanne Carner
Joanne Carner, also known as “Big Mama”, is a former professional golfer who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999. She is one of only five women to have won all four major championships in professional golf.
Carner, born in Seattle, Washington, began playing golf at the age of 10. She attended the University of Washington where she was a two-time All-American. After college, she turned professional in 1968 and won her first major championship, the U.S. Women’s Open, in 1971.
She would go on to win the Women’s British Open in 1976 and 1977, and the LPGA Championship in 1979 and 1984. In total, she won 43 professional tournaments during her career.
Carner was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999 and the National Golf Foundation Hall of Fame in 2000. She was named one of Golf Digest’s 50 Greatest Players of All Time in 2000, and one of ESPN’s 100 Greatest Female Athletes of All Time in 2009.
Amy Alcott
Amy Alcott, a former professional golfer, competed on the LPGA Tour. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1991 and the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame in 2006. She won 29 LPGA Tour events, including five major championships.
Alcott began playing golf at the young age of 10 and turned professional in 1974. She won her first LPGA Tour event, the 1976 Kellogg-Keebler Classic, at the age of 21. She went on to win four more events that year, including her first major championship, the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
Alcott enjoyed a successful career on the LPGA Tour, winning 29 events between 1976 and 1988. She won five major championships, including three consecutive wins at the Kraft Nabisco Championship from 1984 to 1986. In 1991, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. After retiring from competitive golf in 1995, Alcott became a broadcaster for The Golf Channel and ABC Sports. In 2006, she was inducted into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
Karrie Webb
Karrie Webb is an Australian professional golfer who plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. Since turning professional in 1996, she has been one of the world’s leading golfers. Webb has won seven major championships, most recently the Women’s British Open in 2006. She has also won over 70 tournaments worldwide, including a record-tying five Australian Opens.
Webb, born and raised in Ayr, Queensland, started playing golf at young age of four and turned professional at the age of nineteen. In 2000, she became the first Australian to be ranked number one in the world rankings. Webb has continued to be a top player on tour, finishing in the top ten on the money list fourteen times (as of 2019). She has also been inducted into both the World Golf Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Lorena Ochoa
Lorena Ochoa is a Mexican professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010. She was the No. 1 ranked female golfer in the world for 158 consecutive weeks, from April 2007 to March 2010. Throughout her career, she won 29 LPGA Tour events, including two major championships, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.
Ochoa, born in Guadalajara, Mexico, began playing golf at the age of five. She turned professional in 2002 at the age of 20, and quickly ascended to the top of the women’s game. In 2006, she became the first Mexican golfer to win an LPGA Tour event, and by 2007 she had risen to No. 2 in the world rankings.
Ochoa’s first major championship came at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she defeated Cristie Kerr in a playoff. She would go on to win the Women’s British Open in 2008, becoming only the second Mexican golfer to win a major championship.
Ochoa retired from professional golf in 2010 at the age of 28, citing a desire to start a family. She remains one of the most accomplished female golfers of all time, and an inspiration to many young girls and women around the world.
Inbee Park
Inbee Park is a South Korean professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She has been ranked as the number-one female golfer in the world for a whole 109 weeks. As of April 2021, she has won a total of 25 LPGA Tour events. Park is the first female golfer to win four major championships in one year. She achieved this feat in 2013 when she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the Wegmans LPGA Championship, the U.S. Women’s Open, and The Evian Championship. In 2015, Park became the youngest player to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Michelle Wie
Michelle Wie is one of the most successful and popular female golfers of all time. She has won numerous tournaments, including the U.S. Women’s Open. She is one of the few women to have competed on the PGA Tour. As well as this, Wie has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people.
Conclusion
The women on this list have all left their mark on the game of golf and have inspired other female golfers to strive for greatness. They are all true pioneers in the sport and have earned their place among the top 10 female golfers of all time.