Paula Creamer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paula Creamer
Creamer at the 2013 Kingsmill Championship
Personal information
Full name	Paula Creamer
Nickname	The Pink Panther
Born	(1986-08-05) August 5, 1986 (age 38) Mountain View, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Windermere, Florida, U.S.
Spouse	Derek Heath ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2018)​
Career
Turned professional	2004
Current tour(s)	LPGA Tour (joined 2005)
Professional wins	12
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	10
LPGA of Japan Tour	2
Best results in LPGA Major Championships (Wins: 1)
Kraft Nabisco C'ship	T13: 2013
LPGA Championship	T3: 2005, 2011
U.S. Women's Open	Won: 2010
Women's British Open	3rd/T3: 2009, 2012
The Evian Championship	7th: 2014
Achievements and awards
American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) Player of the Year	2003
Golf Digest Junior of the Year	2003
Golf Digest Amateur of the Year	2004
LPGA Rookie of the Year	2005

Creamer during a practice round at the 2009 LPGA Championship

Paula Creamer (born August 5, 1986) is an American professional golfer. She plays on the LPGA Tour, which is based in the U.S. As a professional, she has won 12 tournaments. This includes 10 events on the LPGA Tour. Creamer has been ranked as high as number 2 in the world for women's golf. She won the 2010 U.S. Women's Open in 2010. By the end of 2023, Creamer was 19th on the list of all-time LPGA career money winners. She has earned over $12 million in her career.

Before becoming a professional, Creamer won many junior golf titles. She won 11 tournaments with the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Creamer joined the LPGA Tour in 2005. Her win at the Sybase Classic that year made her the second-youngest LPGA event winner ever.

Paula's Early Life and Amateur Golf Career

Creamer was born in Mountain View, California. She grew up in Pleasanton. She was the only child of an airline pilot and a stay-at-home mother. Their home was right next to a golf course. Paula took part in acrobatic dancing and gymnastics when she was a child. She started playing golf when she was 10 years old.

When she was 12, she won 13 junior golf events in a row in northern California. The next year, she became the top-ranked junior female golfer in California. In 2000, she moved to Bradenton, Florida. There, she went to IMG Pendleton School. This school helps young athletes prepare for college.

Winning Junior and Amateur Titles

During her amateur career, Creamer won 19 national tournaments. This included 11 events with the American Junior Golf Association. The AJGA named her Player of the Year in 2003. She played for the United States team in the Junior Solheim Cup twice (in 2002 and 2003). She reached the semi-finals in the 2003 U.S. Girls' Junior and U.S. Women's Amateur tournaments. She did the same in both events the next year.

In June 2004, Creamer finished second in the LPGA Tour's ShopRite LPGA Classic. She was just one stroke behind the winner, Cristie Kerr. Later that year, she tied for 13th in the U.S. Women's Open. She also played for the United States in the Curtis Cup.

In December 2004, Creamer won the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament. She won by five strokes. This earned her a spot on the LPGA Tour for the 2005 season. She decided to become a professional golfer right after this event, at 18 years old.

Paula's Professional Golf Career

Starting Strong: 2005–2007 Wins

When Paula Creamer joined the LPGA Tour in 2005, she quickly became a top player. On May 22, she won the Sybase Classic in New York. She made a 17-foot birdie putt on the last hole to win by one stroke. Creamer became the youngest player to win a multi-round tournament in LPGA history. This record lasted until 2011.

On July 23, she won her second title of the year. She won the Evian Masters tournament in France by eight shots. She became the youngest and fastest player to earn $1 million in LPGA prize money. In August, Creamer won the NEC Open on the Japan LPGA tour. Two months later, she won the Masters GC Ladies tournament. Creamer also earned a spot on the U.S. Solheim Cup Team. She was the youngest player to ever do this. She helped the U.S. team win the cup. Creamer won the LPGA Rookie of the Year award for her amazing first season. She earned over $1.5 million, which was second on the money list. She also finished in the top three eight times.

After her great first year, Creamer was second in the first Women's World Golf Rankings. These rankings came out on February 20, 2006. Her 2006 season was not as successful. She did not win a tournament. She also had wrist and foot injuries that year. But Creamer still earned over $1 million. She made the cut in all 27 LPGA tournaments she played. She also had 14 top-10 finishes.

In 2007, Creamer won two more LPGA Tour titles. On February 17, she won her third LPGA title at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay. She made a 40-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to win by one shot. In November, Creamer won The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions. She beat Birdie Kim by eight strokes. She also played in her second Solheim Cup. Creamer was unbeaten in five matches. The U.S. team kept the cup. For the season, she had 13 top-10 finishes. She earned over $1.3 million, which was third on the money list.

More Victories: 2008–2009 Highlights

In 2008, Creamer won four LPGA events. This was the most she had won in a single season. She also earned over $1.8 million, her highest amount ever in one year. In February 2008, she won her fifth LPGA title at the Fields Open in Hawaii. She came back from being two shots behind. She made birdies on the last three holes to win. On April 27, Creamer almost won again. She lost in a sudden-death playoff to Annika Sörenstam. The next week, Creamer won the SemGroup Championship. She beat Juli Inkster in a playoff. At the U.S. Women's Open, she was one shot off the lead before the final round. But a five-over-par score on the last day dropped her to a tie for sixth.

On July 10, at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, she shot an amazing 11-under 60. This was just one stroke away from the LPGA Tour record of 59. She won the tournament by two strokes. Creamer's fourth win of 2008 came in October at the Samsung World Championship. She won by one stroke. She was the first American to have four or more wins in an LPGA Tour season since 1999. In November, Creamer helped the International team win the Lexus Cup.

At the end of the 2008 season, Creamer was in the hospital with a stomach problem. This problem affected her for the first few months of 2009. Doctors could not find an exact reason for it. At the 2009 U.S. Women's Open, Creamer tied for sixth place. In her third Solheim Cup, she won 3 of her 4 matches. The U.S. team won the competition again. Creamer finished 10th on the 2009 LPGA money list. She earned over $1.1 million. Her best finishes that season were two second-place results.

Major Win and Injuries: 2010–2013 Seasons

Creamer had to stop playing at the start of the 2010 season. She had a left thumb injury. She first got this injury in June 2009. The injury was thought to be stretched ligaments. She needed surgery in March after other treatments did not work. During the surgery, doctors found more serious damage to her thumb. She had to take a long break from golf. Her thumb was still healing when she came back in June. In her first tournament back, the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Creamer finished seventh.

On July 11, 2010, in her fourth tournament after surgery, Creamer won the U.S. Women's Open. She was the only golfer to finish under par for the tournament. She scored 3-under-par, four strokes ahead of the others. This was Creamer's first win in a major championship. The U.S. Women's Open was her only win that season. But she had four top-10 finishes in 14 starts.

Creamer did not win a tournament in 2011. But she had seven top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes. Her best results were two ties for second place. Creamer was chosen for the U.S. Solheim Cup team again in 2011. She won three of her first four matches. But she lost her singles match, and the American team lost to Europe.

At the 2012 Kingsmill Championship, Creamer tied with Jiyai Shin. They went into a playoff. They played eight playoff holes, and both made par every time. The playoff then stopped because it was too dark. It started again the next day. Creamer made a bogey on the ninth playoff hole, losing to Shin. This was the longest two-player playoff in LPGA Tour history. The next week, she finished third at the Women's British Open.

In 2012, Creamer earned over $800,000. She had seven top-10 finishes. But she could not win any events. In 2013, she earned over $800,000 again. She finished in the top-10 six times. She also played in the 2013 Solheim Cup. But she lost three of her four matches. The U.S. team lost the cup.

Later Career: 2014–2024

Creamer started 2014 with two third-place finishes. On March 2, 2014, Creamer won her first LPGA tournament since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open. At the HSBC Women's Champions tournament in Singapore, she tied with Azahara Muñoz after 72 holes. On the second playoff hole, she sank a 75-foot eagle putt to win! For the rest of the season, Creamer had one more top-10 finish. Her earnings in 2014 were over $700,000. Her ranking on the money list was 22nd, her lowest at that time.

After missing the cut in four straight tournaments, Creamer's world ranking dropped. She was dealing with changes to her swing and equipment. Even though she did not qualify for the 2015 Solheim Cup team based on points, Creamer was chosen to play. This was her sixth time in the event. The U.S. team came back from being far behind to win. Creamer helped by winning her singles match. In 2015, her earnings were under $400,000.

Creamer changed golf instructors before the 2016 season. She had worked with David Whelan for 15 years. She then started working with Gary Gilchrist. At the first LPGA tournament of 2016, Creamer finished in the top five. She tied for fourth place at the JTBC Founders Cup. After that, she had a tough time and missed the cut seven times. Her 2016 earnings were under $300,000.

In 2017, Creamer missed the cut in four out of five tournaments. She had to play in a special qualifier to get into the Women's British Open. She also did not make the 2017 Solheim Cup team at first. But she was chosen as a replacement player. Creamer won three of her four matches. The U.S. team won the Cup again. In September, she had to stop playing at the Evian Championship because of a wrist injury. She had surgery on her wrist. Creamer had one top-10 finish in 2017. She ended the year in 89th place on the LPGA Tour money list.

In 2018, Creamer's earnings dropped even more. Her best finish was 12th place. In 2019, she improved slightly. She had two top-10 results. Creamer did not play in the 2020 season to let her wrist and thumb injuries heal. She came back to play some events in 2021. She then took a break for over a year because she was having a baby. She returned in mid-2022. In 2023, Creamer played in 13 tournaments. She made the cut in only two of them. As of the end of 2023, Creamer was 19th on the all-time LPGA career money list. In 2024, she was an assistant captain for the U.S. Solheim Cup team, which won.

Paula's Playing Style

Creamer's golf swing

Paula Creamer's golf drives are not very long. In 2012, her average driving distance was about 245 yards. This ranked her 193rd on the LPGA Tour. Some experts say her shorter hitting stops her from being a "dominating player." However, she is known for hitting the ball very accurately. Her putting has sometimes been described as "balky," meaning it can be inconsistent. Early in her career, she was often high in the rankings for hitting greens in regulation. This means hitting the ball onto the green in the expected number of strokes.

The Pink Panther Nickname

Paula Creamer loves to wear pink. Because of this, her friend Casey Wittenberg gave her the nickname "Pink Panther." This nickname stuck with her when she became a professional. Besides her pink outfits, Creamer uses pink on her golf gear. This includes her club grips and golf bag. She also uses a Pink Panther club head cover. From 2006 to 2009, she even used a pink golf ball in the last round of some tournaments.

Paula's Personal Life

Creamer finished high school at the IMG Pendleton School right after her first LPGA win in 2005. In 2007, she moved to Isleworth in Windermere, Florida.

Creamer has endorsement deals with several companies. These include TaylorMade-Adidas, Citizen Watch Co., Ricoh, and Bridgestone Golf. In 2013, Forbes magazine estimated her endorsement income to be $4.5 million. This placed her among the top 10 highest-earning female athletes that year. You can also see her in EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf video games.

Since 2005, Creamer has done charity work for The First Tee. This organization helps young golfers. She hosts an event called the Paula 4 Kids Celebrity Event every year. This event raises money for The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee. Creamer also attends youth golf clinics. She has given scholarships to IMG Academy. She also has her own foundation that helps junior golfers and military families.

On December 16, 2013, Creamer announced she was engaged to Derek Heath. He is a pilot and a veteran of the United States Air Force. They got married in 2014. In 2018, Creamer shared that they were no longer together. As of 2021, she is engaged to Shane Kennedy, a former baseball player. She had her first child on January 7, 2022.

Paula's Major Championship Wins

Paula Creamer has won one major championship:

• 2010 U.S. Women's Open

Awards and Recognition

• American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year: 2003
• Golfweek Junior of the Year: 2003
• Golf Digest Junior of the Year: 2003
• Golfweek Amateur of the Year: 2004
• Golf Digest Amateur of the Year: 2004
• American Junior Golf Association Nancy Lopez Award: 2005
• LPGA Rookie of the Year: 2005

Images for kids

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  Creamer at the 2013 Kingsmill Championship

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  Creamer at the 2011 CME Group Titleholders

See also

In Spanish: Paula Creamer para niños

• List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins