Laura Jane Davies CBE is Britain’s most accomplished and well known lady golf professional ever. Having had a terrific spell as an amateur, Laura turned professional in 1985 and has gone on to win 70 tournaments and become England’s greatest ever ambassador for ladies golf.
Known also as an avid Liverpool football fan, and a sometimes ‘gambler’ Laura has single-handedly put ladies professional golf on the map. At 44 years of age (soon to be 45) she is still winning titles and showing the younger generation of wannabes the way down the fairways. She can float a nine iron approach shot from right to left against the wind when less experienced European players don’t know how to draw nor fade a ball in still conditions. Laura is the ‘master’ of hitting a driver off the ground and having already won 4 majors is only one major or two regular LPGA tour events away from golf’s Hall of Fame.
With all this and very much more in mind, and with 50 years of age in sight, one has to ask, “Who is the next Laura Davies?” England has undoubtedly some fine players, one or two on the LPGA tour and ofcourse the first to come to mind would be Karen Stupples, but Karen will be the first to admit that she is nowhere near matching Laura’s golfing achievements, with only one major to her name and a world ranking position of 33rd, and some very talented youngsters above her.
Who else could possibly be considered in the same breathe as Laura? Obvious English talent that is advancing through the ranks, are Rebecca Hudson, Rookie Melissa Reid who has already climbed to World Ranking of 177 in her rookie year. Newcomers, Henni Zuel, Felicity Johnson and Kiran Matharu still have to prove themselves on the European stage despite the media hype, but in order to emulate Laura Davies then the world stage of the LPGA is the place for which to head. Interestingly both Zuel and Matharu are trying for their LPGA cards this year, Zuel in her first full year on the LET and Matharu after failing to secure a spot in 2007. Clearly these ladies are ambitious enough to understand that the US is where they have to stamp their mark but in the meantime, I ask who is going to take over Laura Davies mantle as England’s top player or world ranking status?
Thankfully, Laura will not be hanging up her golf shoes for many years to come, unless she knows something no-one else does and has not divulged it, and as a consequence the English youngsters have opportunities to learn from the UK biggest superstar in ladies professional golf. It would be a crying shame if they felt they couldn’t learn anything from Davies who has been there done it and has the records to prove it.
In the meantime, it would be fantastic to see Laura lift another major title and walk into golf’s Hall of Fame alongside, Annika Sorenstam, Korea’s Se Ri Pak, and Nancy Lopez.
Known also as an avid Liverpool football fan, and a sometimes ‘gambler’ Laura has single-handedly put ladies professional golf on the map. At 44 years of age (soon to be 45) she is still winning titles and showing the younger generation of wannabes the way down the fairways. She can float a nine iron approach shot from right to left against the wind when less experienced European players don’t know how to draw nor fade a ball in still conditions. Laura is the ‘master’ of hitting a driver off the ground and having already won 4 majors is only one major or two regular LPGA tour events away from golf’s Hall of Fame.
With all this and very much more in mind, and with 50 years of age in sight, one has to ask, “Who is the next Laura Davies?” England has undoubtedly some fine players, one or two on the LPGA tour and ofcourse the first to come to mind would be Karen Stupples, but Karen will be the first to admit that she is nowhere near matching Laura’s golfing achievements, with only one major to her name and a world ranking position of 33rd, and some very talented youngsters above her.
Who else could possibly be considered in the same breathe as Laura? Obvious English talent that is advancing through the ranks, are Rebecca Hudson, Rookie Melissa Reid who has already climbed to World Ranking of 177 in her rookie year. Newcomers, Henni Zuel, Felicity Johnson and Kiran Matharu still have to prove themselves on the European stage despite the media hype, but in order to emulate Laura Davies then the world stage of the LPGA is the place for which to head. Interestingly both Zuel and Matharu are trying for their LPGA cards this year, Zuel in her first full year on the LET and Matharu after failing to secure a spot in 2007. Clearly these ladies are ambitious enough to understand that the US is where they have to stamp their mark but in the meantime, I ask who is going to take over Laura Davies mantle as England’s top player or world ranking status?
Thankfully, Laura will not be hanging up her golf shoes for many years to come, unless she knows something no-one else does and has not divulged it, and as a consequence the English youngsters have opportunities to learn from the UK biggest superstar in ladies professional golf. It would be a crying shame if they felt they couldn’t learn anything from Davies who has been there done it and has the records to prove it.
In the meantime, it would be fantastic to see Laura lift another major title and walk into golf’s Hall of Fame alongside, Annika Sorenstam, Korea’s Se Ri Pak, and Nancy Lopez.
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