Sophie Gustafson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sophie Gustafson |
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Gustafson in April 2011
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| Personal information | |
| Born | 27 December 1973 Varberg, Sweden |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Nationality |  Sweden |
| Residence | Särö, Kungsbacka, Sweden |
| Spouse | Ty Votaw (2006–10) |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1992 |
| Former tour(s) | Ladies European Tour (joined 1994) LPGA Tour (joined 1998) |
| Professional wins | 26 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| LPGA Tour | 5 |
| Ladies European Tour | 16 (6th all-time) |
| Ladies Asian Golf Tour | 1 |
| Other | 5 |
| Best results in LPGA Major Championships |
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| Kraft Nabisco C'ship | T7: 2001 |
| LPGA Championship | T6: 2007 |
| U.S. Women's Open | T10: 2006 |
| du Maurier Classic | T33: 2000 |
| Women's British Open | 2nd/T2: 2005, 2006 |
| The Evian Championship | CUT: 2013 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Ladies European Tour Player of the Year |
1998, 2000, 2003 |
| Ladies European Tour Order of Merit winner |
2000, 2003, 2007, 2009 |
| Ladies European Tour Stroke Average trophy |
2000, 2002, 2003, 2007 |
| Swedish Golfer of the Year | 2000 |
| Heather Farr Player Award | 2012 |
Sophie Gustafson (born on December 27, 1973) is a professional golfer from Sweden. She played on the LPGA Tour in the U.S. and is a lifetime member of the Ladies European Tour (LET). Sophie has won 5 LPGA Tour events and 23 international tournaments. She has won on five different continents where golf is played: North America, Europe, Australia, Africa, and Asia.
Sophie has won the LET Order of Merit four times. This award goes to the player who earns the most money on the tour. She also played for Europe in the Solheim Cup many times, from 1998 to 2011. In 2000, she won the Women's British Open. This was before it became a major championship on the LPGA Tour. She also finished second in the same tournament in 2005 and 2006.
Contents
Early Life and Golf Start
Sophie Gustafson grew up in Särö, a town near Kungsbacka on the west coast of Sweden. When she was young, she played many different sports with her two older brothers. These included soccer, tennis, table tennis, ice hockey, sailing, and figure skating.
When Sophie was ten, a 9-hole golf course was built close to her home. This is when she and her family started playing golf. By the time she was 14, she decided to focus only on golf. She joined the Kungsbacka Golf Club, which had 27 holes and better practice areas. Sophie was very talented. She became a professional golfer at 18 in 1992, while still studying in high school.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
In 1993, Sophie won the Swedish Junior Matchplay Championship. Even though she was a professional, this tournament did not offer prize money. It was special because a young pro won it.
From 1992 to 1994, Sophie played in 12 Telia Tour events and four Ladies European Tour tournaments. She finished in the top 10 six times on the Telia Tour.
First Wins and LPGA Tour
In 1995, Sophie joined the Ladies European Tour full-time. She had two top-10 finishes. Her first professional wins came in 1996. She won the Rörstrand Ladies Open on the Telia Tour and the Déesse Ladies Swiss Open on the Ladies European Tour. In 1997, she won the Thailand Ladies Open. She also qualified to play on the LPGA Tour in 1998.
In 1998, Sophie won two more times on the LET. She finished second in the Order of Merit, which ranks players by their earnings. She was also voted the Players' Player of the Year. She played four times on the LPGA Tour and finished second at the Women's British Open. Sophie also played in her first Solheim Cup that year.
Breakthrough Year: 2000
The year 2000 was a big one for Sophie. She won her first LPGA Tour title at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship. She also won her second LPGA title at the Women's British Open. She won two more tournaments in Europe and teamed up with Carin Koch to win the first TSN Ladies World Cup Golf. Sophie also helped Europe win the Solheim Cup. She ended the year as the top player on the Evian Order of Merit.
In 2001, Sophie won on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. She earned over $1 million in her LPGA Tour career. In 2002, she won the Biarritz Ladies Classic and finished third on the LET Order of Merit.
More Success and Solheim Cup
In 2003, Sophie won three out of eight LET events. She won another LET Order of Merit title and her third Players' Player of the Year award. She also won her fourth LPGA title at the Samsung World Championship. This meant she had earned over $2 million in her LPGA Tour career. Sophie was the first woman to play in a men's Japan Golf Tour event. She was also part of the winning European Solheim Cup team in her home country, Sweden.
In 2004, Sophie had some health issues but still played well. In 2005, she finished second at the Women's British Open. She also played in her fifth Solheim Cup and was part of the winning International Team in the first Lexus Cup.
In 2006, Sophie won the Siemens Austrian Ladies Golf Open. This win made her a Life Member of the LET. She won her thirteenth LET title in 2007 at the De Vere Ladies Scottish Open.
Sophie Gustafson was a key player for the European Solheim Cup team. She played in the tournament in 1998, 2000 (winners), 2002, 2003 (winners), 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011 (winners).
Awards and Honors
- In 1998, Sophie received Elite Sign No. 116 from the Swedish Golf Federation. This award recognizes top players who have represented their country.
- In 2000, the Association of Swedish Golf Writers named her the Swedish Golfer of the Year. This award is for the best golfer, male or female, professional or amateur.
- In 2001, she received the Golden Club from the Swedish Golf Federation. This award is for great contributions to Swedish golf.
- In 2004, she became an honorary member of the PGA of Sweden.
Personal Life
In 2006, Sophie Gustafson married Ty Votaw, who used to be the head of the LPGA. They divorced in 2010.
Sophie has a "severe stuttering problem" and usually does not talk to the media. However, during the 2011 Solheim Cup, she spoke on camera with Golf Channel.
During her time on the LPGA Tour, she lived in Orlando, Florida. After she stopped playing full-time, she moved back to Särö, Sweden.
Since 2015, Sophie has played in only a few tournaments. She started a new career as a caddie for another golfer, Beth Allen. They worked together until July 2017.
Sophie also enjoys riding motorcycles.
Amateur Wins
- 1993 Swedish Junior Match-play Championship
Professional Wins (26)
Sophie Gustafson has won 26 professional tournaments. Here are some of her biggest wins:
LPGA Tour Wins (5)
- 2000 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship
- 2000 Weetabix Women's British Open (This was before it became an official major on the LPGA Tour)
- 2001 Subaru Memorial of Naples
- 2003 Samsung World Championship
- 2009 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge
Ladies European Tour Wins (16)
Sophie has won 16 times on the Ladies European Tour, making her one of the most successful players in the tour's history. Some of her wins include:
- 1996 Deesse Ladies' Swiss Open
- 1998 Donegal Irish Ladies' Open
- 1998 Marrakech Palmeraie Open
- 2000 Ladies Italian Open
- 2000 Waterford Crystal Irish Open
- 2000 Weetabix Women's British Open
- 2001 AAMI Women's Australian Open
- 2002 Biarritz Ladies Classic
- 2003 Ladies Irish Open
- 2003 HP Open
- 2003 BT Ladies Open
- 2006 Siemens Austrian Ladies Golf Open
- 2007 De Vere Ladies Scottish Open
- 2010 European Ladies Golf Cup (with Anna Nordqvist)
- 2010 AIB Ladies Irish Open
- 2011 Communitat Valenciana European Ladies Golf Cup (with Anna Nordqvist)
Other Wins (4)
- 1997 Thailand Ladies Open (Ladies Asian Tour)
- 1998 Lalla Meryem Cup (Morocco)
- 2000 TSN Ladies World Cup Golf (team event with Carin Koch)
- 2003 Catalonia World Matchplay Championship
Team Appearances
Sophie Gustafson has played for various teams in professional golf events:
- Praia d'El Rey European Cup (representing Ladies European Tour): 1998 (tie), 1999 (winners)
- Solheim Cup (representing Europe): 1998, 2000 (winners), 2002, 2003 (winners), 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 (winners)
- Lexus Cup (representing International team): 2005 (winners)
- World Cup (representing Sweden): 2005, 2008
- European Nations Cup (representing Sweden): 2010 (winners), 2011 (winners)
Images for kids
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Sophie Gustafson in April 2011
See Also
- List of golfers with most Ladies European Tour wins
