Sophie Gustafson

Sophie Gustafson (born 27 December 1973) is a Swedish professional golfer. She was a member of the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and is a life member of the Ladies European Tour (LET).[1] She has five LPGA Tour and 23 international wins in her career, including victories on five of the six continents on which golf is played: North America, Europe, Australia, Africa and Asia. She is a four-time LET Order of Merit winner[2] and represented Europe in the Solheim Cup on each team from 1998 to 2011.[3][4] She won the Women's British Open in 2000, the year before it was recognized as a major championship by the LPGA Tour and finished runner-up in 2005 and 2006.

Sophie Gustafson
Gustafson in April 2011
Personal information
Born (1973-12-27) 27 December 1973
Varberg, Sweden
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Sporting nationality Sweden
ResidenceSärö, Kungsbacka, Sweden
SpouseTy Votaw (2006–10)
Career
Turned professional1992
Former tour(s)Ladies European Tour (joined 1994)
LPGA Tour (joined 1998)
Professional wins26
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour5
Ladies European Tour16 (6th all-time)
Ladies Asian Golf Tour1
Other5
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipT7: 2001
Women's PGA C'shipT6: 2007
U.S. Women's OpenT10: 2006
du Maurier ClassicT33: 2000
Women's British Open2nd/T2: 2005, 2006
Evian ChampionshipCUT: 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 Year2000
Heather Farr Player Award2012

Early life

Gustafson grew up in Särö, outside Kungsbacka on the west coast of Sweden. At young ages, she practiced many different sports with her two elder brothers – football, tennis, table tennis, ice hockey, sailing and figure skating. When she was ten years old, a 9-hole golf course was built close to her home and Gustafson and her family began playing. At 14 years of age, she quit other sports, to concentrate on golf and got the opportunity to represent nearby situated Kungsbacka Golf Club, with 27 holes and better practice facilities. Showing great talent, she turned professional at 18 years of age in 1992, whilst studying marketing, economics and law at Aranäs High School in Kungsbacka.[5][6] In 1993 she won the Swedish Junior Match-play Championship, which at the time, due to Sweden's "open golf"-policy was not restricted to amateurs only, but it was whiteout prize-money and unique that it was won by a young professional.[7]

Professional career

From 1992 to 1994, Gustafson played 12 Telia Tour and four Ladies European Tour tournaments. On the Telia Tour, she had six top-10 finishes. Her best finish on the Ladies European Tour was a 22nd at her home tournament in Sweden.[8][9][10]

1995 saw her join the Ladies European Tour gaining two top-10 finishes in 13 starts.[11] 1996 was her first full year on the Ladies European Tour. She gained her first professional wins, winning once on the Telia Tour at the Rörstrand Ladies Open[12] and once on the Ladies European Tour at the Déesse Ladies Swiss Open.[13] In 1997 she earned her first win on the Ladies Asian Tour at the Thailand Ladies Open[14] and finished T40th at LPGA Q School to earn non-exempt status for 1998.[5]

In 1998 Gustafson won twice on the LET at the Donegal Irish Ladies' Open and at the Marrakech Palmeraie Open, finish second on the Order of Merit and was voted Waterford Players' Player of the Year.[2] She also played four times on the LPGA Tour, recording a second-place finish at the co-sanctioned Women's British Open.[5] She also won the Telia Tour Finale[15] and made her debut in the Solheim Cup, replacing the injured Trish Johnson at the last minute.[16] During 1999, Gustafson played on both the LPGA and Ladies European Tours. Her best result was a tie for second at the Ladies' German Open on the Ladies European Tour.[2]

2000 was a breakthrough year for Gustafson. She got her maiden win on the LPGA Tour at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship,[17] and added a second LPGA title at the co-sanctioned Women's British Open.[18] She had two other wins in Europe at the Ladies Italian Open and at the Waterford Crystal Ladies' Irish Open,[19] and partnered with Carin Koch to win the inaugural TSN Ladies World Cup Golf.[20] She also won 2 and a half out of a possible four points in Europe's Solheim Cup victory at Loch Lomond.[2] The year ended with Gustafson topping the Evian Order of Merit and official Evian moneylist, being voted Swedish Player of the Year by the Association of Swedish Golf Writers and becoming Players' Player of Year'.[19][21][22]

In 2001 Gustafson won once on both the LPGA Tour at the Subaru Memorial of Naples[23] and Ladies European Tour at the AAMI Women's Australian Open[24] crossing the LPGA Tour career $1million earnings mark. The defence of her LPGA title ended with her losing in a playoff to Annika Sörenstam.[25] In 2002, she played seven LET events, posting four top-10 finishes, ending the season with one victory at the Biarritz Ladies Classic[26] and third place in the Order of Merit as well as winning the Vivien Saunders Stroke average trophy.[2] She made 15 of 20 cuts on the LPGA, with her best finish an 11th.

In 2003, she won three out of eight LET events[27][28][29] and secured another LET Order of Merit title. She also won her third LET Players' Player of the Year award and the Vivien Saunders Stroke Average trophy.[30] She won the Samsung World Championship on the LPGA tour,[31] her 4th LPGA win, crossing the $2million LPGA Tour career earnings mark. She became the first woman to compete in a men's Japan Golf Tour event,[32] and was part of the winning European Solheim Cup team in her native Sweden.

During 2004 Gustafson struggled with illness due to deep vein thrombosis in her leg.[2] Her best finish of the year was a tie for third on the LPGA tour where she led the tour in driving distance at 270.2 yards. At the start of 2005, Gustafson represented Sweden with Carin Koch in the 2005 Women's World Cup of Golf in SA.[33] Three LET events in 2005 yielded a second-place finish at the Weetabix Women's British Open and 3rd place on the LET Money List. On the LPGA Tour she had seven top 10 finishes and tied her career low round of 64 at the Wendy's Championship for Children.[2] Gustafson made her 5th appearance in the Solheim Cup.[34] and was a member of the International Team in the inaugural Lexus Cup.[35]

In 2006 Gustafson played in just three LET events but finished fourth on the New Star Money List after claiming her first victory in almost three years at the Siemens Austrian Ladies Golf Open at Golfclub Fohrenwald in Wiener Neustadt in Austria.[36] This win gave her the point she needed to become a Life Member of the LET.[1] She earned her thirteenth LET win in 2007 at the De Vere Ladies Scottish Open.

Gustafson was a member of the European Solheim Cup team in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011.

Personal life

In 2006, Gustafson married former LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw,[37] who left his post following the 2005 Solheim Cup. They divorced in January 2010.[38]

Gustafson, in her words, has a "severe stuttering problem" and rarely speaks to the media. During the 2011 Solheim Cup she made an exception and spoke on-camera with Golf Channel.[39]

During her LPGA Tour career, she lived in Orlando, Florida. After retiring, she moved back to Särö, Sweden.

Since 2015, Gustafson only played in a few tournaments. Instead she began a career as a caddie for LET player Beth Allen. They parted ways after the U.S. Women's Open in July 2017.[40]

Gustafson is interested in driving motorcycle.[6]

Amateur wins

Professional wins (26)

LPGA Tour wins (5)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
1 30 Apr 2000 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship −10 (65-69-72=206) 1 stroke United States Amy Fruhwirth
United States Kelly Robbins
2 20 Aug 2000 Weetabix Women's British Open1 −10 (70-66-71-75=282) 2 strokes United States Becky Iverson
England Kirsty Taylor
3 21 Jan 2001 Subaru Memorial of Naples −16 (68-64-70-70=272) 3 strokes Australia Karrie Webb
4 12 Oct 2003 Samsung World Championship −14 (72-69-69-64=274) 2 strokes United States Beth Daniel
Australia Rachel Hetherington
5 27 Sep 2009 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge −20 (65-69-66-68=268) 4 strokes Mexico Lorena Ochoa

LPGA Tour playoff record (0–4)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2000 Mizuno Classic Canada Lorie Kane Lost to birdie on first extra hole
2 2001 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship Sweden Annika Sörenstam Lost to par on second extra hole
3 2008 Safeway Classic Sweden Helen Alfredsson
United States Cristie Kerr		 Kerr won with birdie on first extra hole
4 2009 Evian Masters1 Japan Ai Miyazato Lost to birdie on first extra hole

Ladies European Tour wins (16)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner(s)-up
116 Jun 1996Deesse Ladies' Swiss Open−12 (69-69-73-69=280)1 strokeEngland Lisa Hackney
26 Sep 1998Donegal Irish Ladies' Open−2 (68-78-68=214)PlayoffDenmark Iben Tinning
325 Oct 1998Marrakech Palmeraie Open−15 (66-67-68=201)2 strokesFrance Marie-Laure de Lorenzi
421 May 2000Ladies Italian Open−78 (69-74-69-72=284)3 strokesItaly Silvia Cavalleri
Belgium Valérie Van Ryckeghem
511 Jun 2000Waterford Crystal Irish Open−6 (71-71-71-69=282)1 strokeFrance Marine Monnet
620 Aug 2000Weetabix Women's British Open1−10 (70-66-71-75=282)2 strokesSweden Liselotte Neumann
711 Mar 2001AAMI Women's Australian Open2−11 (70-69-66=205)4 strokesUnited States Jane Crafter
Australia Karrie Webb
85 Oct 2002Biarritz Ladies Classic−10 (69-67-64=200)PlayoffScotland Mhairi McKay
915 Jun 2003Ladies Irish Open−17 (66-63-73=202)3 strokesEngland Laura Davies
1010 Aug 2003HP Open−19 (67-71-63-68=269)PlayoffNorway Suzann Pettersen
1117 Aug 2003BT Ladies Open−13 (66-69-68-72=275)1 strokeEngland Alison Nicholas
1217 Sep 2006Siemens Austrian Ladies Golf Open−17 (71-64-65-71=271)2 strokesEngland Laura Davies
1323 Sep 2007De Vere Ladies Scottish Open−3 (71-68-71=210)5 strokesSweden Sofia Renell (am)
England Kirsty Taylor
England Danielle Masters
1425 Apr 2010European Ladies Golf Cup
(with Anna Nordqvist)		−21 (267)PlayoffAustralia Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn
158 Aug 2010AIB Ladies Irish Open−12 (70-68-66=204)1 strokeNorway Marianne Skarpnord
South Korea In-Kyung Kim
1617 Apr 2011Communitat Valenciana European Ladies Golf Cup
(with Anna Nordqvist)		−11 (267)3 strokesGermany Anja Monke & Caroline Masson
England Laura Davies & Melissa Reid

Ladies European Tour playoff record (4–1)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 1998 Donegal Irish Ladies' Open Denmark Iben Tinning Won on the first playoff hole
2 2002 Biarritz Ladies Classic Scotland Mhairi McKay Won with a birdie on the first playoff hole
3 2003 HP Open Norway Suzann Pettersen Won with par at the third playoff hole
4 2009 Evian Masters1 Japan Ai Miyazato Lost to birdie on first extra hole
5 2010 European Ladies Golf Cup Australia Karrie Webb & Karen Lunn Nordqvist and Gustafson defeated Webb and Lunn on the third playoff hole

Note: Gustafson won the Weetabix Women's British Open once before it was recognized as a major championship on the LPGA Tour in 2001.

Notes:

  • 1 Co-sanctioned by LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour
  • 2 Co-sanctioned by ALPG Tour and Ladies European Tour

Swedish Golf Tour wins (2)

Other wins (4)

Results in LPGA majors

Results not in chronological order before 2014.

Tournament19992000
Kraft Nabisco Championship T79
LPGA Championship T54 T40
U.S. Women's Open T20 T31
du Maurier Classic T33
Tournament200120022003200420052006200720082009
Kraft Nabisco Championship T7 T25 T51 T48 T66 CUT T44 T42 T64
LPGA Championship CUT CUT CUT T74 CUT T44 T6 CUT T16
U.S. Women's Open 11 CUT CUT CUT T58 T10 CUT CUT CUT
Women's British Open ^ T42 T11 8 CUT 2 T2 T33 T24 T33
Tournament20102011201220132014
Kraft Nabisco Championship T10 T15 CUT T63 CUT
U.S. Women's Open T19 CUT 56 CUT
Women's British Open T43 3 CUT CUT
LPGA Championship T25 T57 T30 WD CUT
The Evian Championship ^^ CUT

^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001
^^ The Evian Championship was added as a major in 2013

  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied

Summary
TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Kraft Nabisco Championship0000241512
U.S. Women's Open000014157
Women's British Open0213461310
LPGA Championship000013169
du Maurier Classic00000011
The Evian Championship00000010
Totals02138176139
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 7 (1999 Kraft Nabisco – 2001 Kraft Nabisco)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2006 U.S. Open – 2006 British Open)

LPGA Tour career summary
YearTournaments
played		Cuts
made		Wins2nd3rdTop 10sBest
finish		Earnings
($)		Money
list rank		Scoring
average		Scoring
rank
1994 1 1 0 0 0 0 T75 612 n/a 77.25 n/a
1995 1 0 0 0 0 0 MC n/a n/a 82.00 n/a
1996 1 1 0 0 0 0 MC n/a n/a 75.00 n/a
1997 2 2 0 0 0 1 5 30,154 n/a 72.50 n/a
1998 4 2 0 1 0 1 T12 81,915 n/a 74.58 n/a
1999 21 11 0 0 0 1 T6 80,800 96 73.27 115
2000 21 18 2 1 0 4 1 544,390 13 71.93 17
2001 25 23 1 1 0 7 1 617,327 15 71.55 25
2002 20 15 0 0 0 0 T11 165,093 57 72.40 47
2003 22 17 1 1 0 6 1 635,372 18 71.11 17
2004 21 11 0 0 1 3 T3 167,843 65 73.48 124
2005 26 21 0 1 1 7 2 484,839 28 72.59 46
2006 25 21 0 1 1 6 T2 655,548 17 71.57 21
2007 19 16 0 1 0 6 T2 469,748 30 71.84 16
2008 23 17 0 2 1 5 T2 646,303 28 71.85 33
2009 22 17 1 1 0 7 1 792,359 17 71.54 26
2010 21 18 0 0 0 1 T10 231,715 45 72.70 59
2011 21 19 0 0 1 2 3 427,586 26 72.44 39
2012 22 16 0 0 0 0 T12 158,089 65 73.28 85
2013 15 2 0 0 0 0 T45 13,751 135 74.33 135
2014 3 0 0 0 0 0 MC 0 n/a 77.33 n/a
  • official through 23 November 2014[41]

Team appearances

Professional

Solheim Cup record
YearTotal
matches		Total
W-L-H		Singles
W-L-H		Foursomes
W-L-H		Fourballs
W-L-H		Points
won		Points
%
Career 31 13-12-6 3-4-1 7-1-4 3-7-1 16.0 51.6
1998 2 0-1-1 0-0-1 halved w/ M. Mallon 0-1-0 lost w/ L.Hackney 7&5 0.5 25.0
2000 4 2-1-1 0-1-0 lost to B. Burton 4&3 1-0-1 won w/ T. Johnson 3&2,
halved w/ T. Johnson		 1-0-0 won w/ T. Johnson 3&2 2.5 62.5
2002 3 2-1-0 1-0-0 def. C. Kerr 3&2 1-1-0 lost w/ K. Icher 4&3,
won w/ L. Davies 1 up		 2.0 66.7
2003 5 3-2-0 1-0-0 def. H. Bowie 5&4 2-0-0 won w/ E. Esterl 3&2,
won w/ S. Pettersen 3&1		 0-2-0 lost w/ I. Tinning 2 dn,
lost w/ L. Davies 2&1		 3.0 60.0
2005 5 1-2-2 0-1-0 lost to J.Inkster 2&1 1-0-1 halved w/ T. Johnson,
won w/ C. Koch 5&3		 0-1-1 lost w/ K Stupples 2&1,
halved w/ S. Pettersen		 2.0 40.0
2007 4 0-2-2 0-1-0 lost to P.Hurst 2&1 0-0-2 halved w/ S. Pettersen,
halved w/ S. Pettersen		 0-1-0 lost w/ G. Nocera 3&2 1.0 25.0
2009 4 1-3-0 0-1-0 lost to B. Lincicome 3&2 1-1-0 lost w/ S. Pettersen 4&2,
won w/ J. Moodie 4&3		 0-1-0 lost w/ S. Pettersen 1 dn 1.0 25.0
2011 4 4-0-0 1-0-0 def. S. Lewis 2 up 2-0-0 won w/ S. Pettersen 1 up,
won w/ C. Hedwall 6&5		 1-0-0 won w/ C. Hedwall 5&4 4.0 100.

See also

References
  1. "Gustafson named Life Member of the Ladies European Tour". LPGA. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  2. "Sophie Gustafson Player Profile". LET. Archived from the original on 11 March 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  3. "1990-2003 Solheim Cup Teams" (PDF). LPGA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2007. Retrieved 10 March 2007.
  4. "2005 European Solheim Cup Team". LPGA. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  5. "Full Career Biography" (PDF). LPGA. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  6. "Lilian Gustafson". Svensk Golf. June 2009. p. 107.
  7. Jansson, Anders (2004). Golf – Den stora sporten [Golf - The Great Sport] (in Swedish). Swedish Golf Federation. pp. 224–225, 242, 249, 252–255, 262–264, 268, 280. ISBN 91-86818007.
  8. "1992 Results". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  9. "1993 Results". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  10. "1994 Results". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  11. "1995 Results". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  12. "Rörstrand Ladies Open". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  13. "Déesse Ladies Swiss Open". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  14. "Thailand Ladies Open". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  15. "Telia Ladies Finale Johannesberg". Golfdata from golf.se. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  16. "Tough play being the reserve". BBC Sport. 17 September 2002. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  17. "Chick-fil-A Charity Championship 2000". Golfweek. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  18. "Gustafson hangs on for victory". BBC Sport. 20 August 2000. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  19. "Gustafson voted LET player of the year". Golf Today. 20 August 2000. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  20. "Swedes hold off English pair". BBC Sport. 17 September 2000. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  21. "Gustafson gets gong". BBC Sport. 1 February 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  22. Golf - Den stora sporten [Golf - The great sport] (in Swedish). Swedish Golf Federation. 2004. p. 268.
  23. "Gustafson bags Naples title". BBC Sport. 21 January 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  24. "Gustafson holds off Webb". BBC Sport. 11 March 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  25. "Sorenstam eyes Tiger showdown". BBC Sport. 7 May 2001. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  26. "Gustafson wins Biarritz thriller". LET. 5 October 2002. Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  27. "Gustafson cruises to third Irish victory". LET. 15 June 2003. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  28. "Sophie snaps up HP Open". LET. 10 August 2003. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  29. "Gustafson completes Irish double". BBC Sport. 17 August 2003. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  30. "Evian Tour 2003 Awards". LET. 13 October 2003. Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  31. "Gustafson on top of the World". LET. 13 October 2003. Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  32. "Gustafson out in Japan". BBC Sport. 29 November 2003. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  33. "Australia, England and Sweden favourites". LET. 10 February 2005. Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  34. "Meet the 2005 European Solheim Cup Team". LET. 2 September 2005. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  35. "Annika Sorenstam heads Lexus Cup field". Golf Today. 7 December 2005. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  36. "Gustafson back in the winner's circle again". LPGA. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  37. "Sophie Gustafson weds Ty Votaw". LET. 8 July 2006. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 17 March 2007.
  38. "Ex-LPGA commish Votaw divorces Gustafson". ESPN. Associated Press. 2 February 2010.
  39. "Sophie Gustafson's TV Interview". YouTube.com. LPGA. 11 December 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  40. "Gustafson, Golfens skilsmässor" [Gustafson, Divorces in Golf]. Svensk Golf. September 2017. p. 95.
  41. "Sophie Gustafson Stats". LPGA. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
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