Helen Alfredsson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Helen Alfredsson |
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Alfredsson in 2014
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Helen Christine Alfredsson |
| Nickname | Alfie |
| Born | 9 April 1965 Gothenburg, Sweden |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Nationality |  Sweden |
| Residence | Orlando, Florida, U.S. Onsala, Kungsbacka, Sweden |
| Spouse | Kent Nilsson (2005–2016) |
| Partner | Kent Nilsson |
| Career | |
| College | U.S. International University (graduated 1988) |
| Turned professional | 1989 |
| Current tour(s) | Legends Tour (2012–present) |
| Former tour(s) | Ladies European Tour (1989–2013) LPGA Tour (1992–2013) |
| Professional wins | 29 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| LPGA Tour | 7 |
| Ladies European Tour | 11 |
| LPGA of Japan Tour | 3 |
| ALPG Tour | 1 |
| Other | 6 (regular) 2 (senior) |
| Best results in LPGA Major Championships (Wins: 1) |
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| Kraft Nabisco C'ship | Won: 1993 |
| LPGA Championship | T5: 1992 |
| U.S. Women's Open | 2nd/T2: 1993, 2008 |
| du Maurier Classic | T8: 1993 |
| Women's British Open | T40: 2002 |
| The Evian Championship | CUT: 2013 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year |
1989 |
| LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year |
1992 |
| Ladies European Tour Order of Merit |
1998 |
| Swedish Golfer of the Year | 1990 |
Helen Christine Alfredsson (born on April 9, 1965) is a famous professional golfer from Sweden. She mostly played on the American-based LPGA Tour and is also a lifetime member of the Ladies European Tour.
Her biggest win was a major championship called the Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1993. She also came very close to winning the U.S. Women's Open, finishing in second place twice. Later in her career, she won two major championships for senior players in the same year.
Contents
Early Life and First Swings
Helen Alfredsson was born in Gothenburg, Sweden. She started playing golf when she was 11 years old. She quickly became very good and played for Sweden's junior and national amateur teams.
For college, she went to the United States International University in San Diego, California. She was part of their golf team and graduated in 1988. Even as an amateur, she won the Swedish Match-play Championship three times in a row from 1986 to 1988.
In 1987, she helped the Swedish team win the European Ladies' Team Championship. She officially became a professional golfer on January 1, 1989.
A Star on the World Stage
Alfredsson started her pro career on the Ladies European Tour (LET) and was named Rookie of the Year in 1989. The next year, she won her first professional tournament, the Women's British Open.
She then joined the American LPGA Tour in 1992 and won its Rookie of the Year award. This made her one of the few golfers to be named the best newcomer on both the European and American tours.
Major Victories and Records
In 1993, Alfredsson won her first and only major title, the 1993 Nabisco Dinah Shore. A few months later, she almost won the U.S. Women's Open but finished just one shot behind the winner.
At the 1994 U.S. Women's Open, she set a new record by shooting a 63 in the first round, which was 8 strokes under par. For a while, she was 13 strokes under par, the lowest score ever reached in any U.S. Open at that time.
Throughout her career, Alfredsson won 7 times on the LPGA Tour and 11 times on the Ladies European Tour. She was known for her powerful and sometimes emotional style of play.
The Solheim Cup and Later Career
Alfredsson was a key player for Team Europe in the Solheim Cup, a famous competition between Europe and the United States. She played on the team eight times. In 2007, she was the team's captain. She is the only person to have been a captain and then later qualify to play on the team again.
After dealing with some injuries, she made a big comeback in 2008 to win the Evian Masters for the third time. She officially retired from the main LPGA Tour in 2013.
Success as a Senior Golfer
After retiring from the regular tour, Alfredsson began playing on the Legends Tour for senior players. In 2019, she had an amazing year, winning both of the senior women's major championships: the U.S. Senior Women's Open and the Senior LPGA Championship.
Awards and Recognition
- 1989: Ladies European Tour Rookie of the Year
- 1990: Swedish Golfer of the Year
- 1992: LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year
- 1998: Topped the Ladies European Tour money list
- 2024: Inducted into the Swedish Golf Hall of Fame
She is also a lifetime member of the Ladies European Tour and an honorary member of the PGA of Sweden.
Life Outside of Golf
When she was young, Alfredsson also practiced ice skating and team handball. Her father, Björn, was a Swedish handball champion.
After college, she spent six months working as a model in Paris, France. In 2005, she married Kent Nilsson, a former professional ice hockey player. They are no longer married but live together.
Alfredsson is also involved in charity work. She helped start a golf tournament to raise money for research on Alzheimer's disease, an illness that affected her mother.
Major Championships
Wins (1)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Nabisco Dinah Shore | −4 (69-71-72-72=284) | 2 strokes |  Tina Barrett, Amy Benz, Betsy King |
Senior Major Championships
Wins (2)
| Year | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | U.S. Senior Women's Open | +1 (75-69-69-72=285) | 2 strokes | Juli Inkster Trish Johnson |
| 2019 | Senior LPGA Championship | −2 (72-72-70=214) | 3 strokes | Juli Inkster |
Team Appearances
Amateur
- European Ladies' Team Championship (representing Sweden): 1983, 1985, 1987 (winners)
- Espirito Santo Trophy (representing Sweden): 1986, 1988
Professional
- Solheim Cup (representing Europe): 1990, 1992 (winners), 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 (winners), 2002, 2007 (non-playing captain), 2009
- World Cup (representing Sweden): 2007
- Lexus Cup (representing International team): 2008 (winners)
See also
- List of golfers with most Ladies European Tour wins
