On the 28 July, 1987, professional golfer, Dame Laura Jane Davies, DBE (born 1963) won the first of her four major titles, the US Women’s Open Championshipship, at Plainfield GC, Edison, New Jersey. in an 18 hole play-off over Ayako Okamoto and JoAnne Carner.

At the time of her victory Davies was not a member of the LPGA Tour, so the LPGA amended its constitution to grant Davies automatic membership.

Davies is the nation’s most accomplished British female golfer of modern times. She was the first non-American to head the LPGA money list, as well as winning the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit a record seven times in 1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2006.

A native of Coventry, Davies turned professional in 1985. She compiled an impressive record as an amateur international player for Great Britain, and was the 1983 English Intermediate Champion, the 1984 Welsh Open Stroke Play Champion, and the South Eastern Champion in both 1983 and 1984. She was also a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup Team in 1984.

Davies began her professional career on what is now the Ladies European Tour, when she won both Rookie of the Year and Order of Merit titles. She subsequently won the Sports Journalists’ Association Peter Wilson Trophy as International Newcomer of the Year 1985. Laura repeated her Order of Merit victory in 1986 having won four titles, one of which was the British Women’s Open prior to it becoming a major.

In 1988 Davies won twice as a rookie on the LPGA Tour, three times on the Ladies European Tour and once in Japan, becoming the first woman ever to win on all three major Tours in the same year.

Davies has 85 professional worldwide wins to her credit, 20 of which were on the LPGA Tour, including four majors. 

From 1985 to 2010, she won at least one individual title somewhere in the world every season, except for 2005, and was the first golfer, male or female, to win tournaments on five continents in one year.

A member of US based LPGA Tour and a life member of the Ladies European Tour, Davies was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2015.

In 1990 she was a member of the inaugural European Solheim Cup Team, and became the only player to participate in the first dozen Solheim Cup matches on either the United States or European side. Davies is the all-time leader in points won in the Solheim Cup, breaking the record of Annika Sörenstam in September 2011, when she won a Saturday four-ball match partnered with Melissa Reid. 

In 1994 she was the first golfer, male or female, to win on five different golf tours in one calendar year, US, Europe, Asia, Japan and Australia, and became the first European player to be ranked unofficial number one in the world. She was named the Sports Journalists’ Association Sportswoman of the Year 1995 and 1996 .

In 2004 Davies was the first woman to compete in the men’s European Tour, entering the ANZ Championship in Sydney, Australia, but failed to make the cut and finished second to last.

Davies was the first woman to compete in a European Senior Tour event, when she appeared in the 2018 Shipco Masters in Denmark, playing from the same tees as her male opponents.

Davies was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire [MBE] in 1988, Commander of the Order of the British Empire [CBE] in 2000, and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire [DBE] in the 2014 list of Birthday Honours, all for services to golf.

In February 2015, Davies was announced as one of the first female members of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

Davies enjoys all sports, an ardent football fan, and avid supporter of Liverpool FC.

Having formerly been a bookmaker’s assistant, Laura has always had an interest in gambling, which eventually led to her becoming a racehorse owner.

In 2006 Davies completed a 56-mile charity walk along the Great Wall of China to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

In 1997, 33-year-old Davies signed a four-year contract worth $1 as part of a publicity stunt for newly established American soccer team Myrtle Beach Seadawgs in the USISL D-3 Pro League. She played in one league game for the club, a six-minute cameo in a 4-1 loss against New Jersey Imperials in April 1997, in which the future US national soccer international Tim Howard made his away debut. Howard wrote in his book that the Seadawgs had offered a bonus of $500 to any player who could assist Davies score a goal.

28 July, 2019