10 Most Influential Women Golfers?

[Deleted member 15344]

The name that a couple of people have mentioned that I really don't get here is Charley Hull. Clearly talented but in what way can she be classed as being in the top 10 of the most influential women golfers of all time? That just doesn't make sense to me.

She burst onto the scene at 17 year old totally raw and natural and appealed to thousands of young girls , it was a young British girl that young could could look up too - after her performance in the 2013 Solheim many young girls took up the sport - she was the first main stream young British girl golf role model

 

[Lord Tyrion]

She burst onto the scene at 17 year old totally raw and natural and appealed to thousands of young girls , it was a young British girl that young could could look up too - after her performance in the 2013 Solheim many young girls took up the sport - she was the first main stream young British girl golf role model

I get that but on the world stage she isn't registering at that level. This list should surely have crossover if it is being made in the UK, USA, European countries, Asia etc. No one outside of the UK would have her name on the list, at this stage of course.

 

[cliveb]

I get that but on the world stage she isn't registering at that level. This list should surely have crossover if it is being made in the UK, USA, European countries, Asia etc. No one outside of the UK would have her name on the list, at this stage of course.

Quite right. Michelle Wie was another prodigy who burst onto the scene at a young age. Surely she has had a far greater impact on young girls taking up the sport across the world than Charlie Hull, but (unless I've missed it) nobody has mentioned her?
(FWIW, I don't think either Michelle Wie or Charlie Hull should be on this list).

 

[Voyager EMH]

We of course, see things from a European and North American perspective.
In rough figures, N&S America is 1 billion people, Europe is 1 billion and Asia is 4 billion.
If you asked this question in Japan, South Korea and China, I wonder what the answers would be like.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Babe Zaharias basically put women's golf on the map in the US and got it an audience.

Jan Stephenson was the glamour figure who was controversially used to put some sex appeal into the game in the 70s/80s.

I never met an Italian named "Ethan" before. I suppose if one lives long enough.....



Anyway, Jane Blalock taught me a shot, once, so she's been the most influential to me.

The Argentine Silvia Bertolaccini gave me a bruise between the shoulder blades with a drive, once.

I think it was around the time you guys were fighting over the Falklands.
She probably recognized me as an Anglophile, but gave no consideration to the fact that we're both ethnically Italian.

 

[Ethan]

I never met an Italian named "Ethan" before. I suppose if one lives long enough.....



Anyway, Jane Blalock taught me a shot, once, so she's been the most influential to me.

The Argentine Silvia Bertolaccini gave me a bruise between the shoulder blades with a drive, once.

I think it was around the time you guys were fighting over the Falklands.
She probably recognized me as an Anglophile, but gave no consideration to the fact that we're both ethnically Italian.

That is not an Italian flag on my profile, and I am not really called Ethan either.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

That is not an Italian flag on my profile, and I am not really called Ethan either.

Incredible. I've got the same cufflinks and thought that they were Italian flags!

 

[Voyager EMH]

Anyone can see that it is an upside down Ivory Coast flag. Sorry, that should say - rotated through 180 degrees - not upside down.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Anyone can see that it is an upside down Ivory Coast flag. Sorry, that should say - rotated through 90 degrees - not upside down.

That would look like an Irish flag, not an Italian flag.

My cufflinks are definitely Green, White, and Red--not Green, White, and Orange.
And those cufflinks look the same.
Could just be the monitor color, I suppose.

 

[Sats]

Honestly I think that the female golfers that have the most influence, aren't up there for their golfing ability, but more about their social media accounts. Ask most and they'll remember those golfers rather than their golf game.

Paige Spiranic
Anna Rawson
Lucy Robson
Belen Mozo
Maria Orlova

I wonder how many male golfers could make money just wearing speedos on instagram!

 

[Backache]

I wonder how many male golfers could make money just wearing speedos on instagram!

I'm not well known for my golf.

 

[howbow88]

Babe Zaharias basically put women's golf on the map in the US and got it an audience.

Jan Stephenson was the glamour figure who was controversially used to put some sex appeal into the game in the 70s/80s.

I'm guessing you've been listening to the excellent Local Knowledge podcast? If not, give it a go. They did episodes on both of these women and they were very interesting.

These two were very influential in the women's game for positive reasons, though in very differing ways.

 

[louise_a]

Surprised no-one has mentioned Mickey Walker

 

[AmandaJR]

I know it's a Top 10 and all that but there is only one female golfer I have been inspired/influenced by and that's Dame Laura. I always thought of golf as a bit boring but her grip it and rip it approach, bashing a little mound on the tee before smashing a drive a long way here, there and everywhere...find the ball and hit it hard again...loved it. Plus the fact she didn't seem to care a hoot about appearance/fashion and loved most sports (star on Q of Sport!) - just something out of the norm which made me notice golf more.

 

[srixon 1]

I wonder how many male golfers could make money just wearing speedos on instagram!

?

 

[Voyager EMH]

I know it's a Top 10 and all that but there is only one female golfer I have been inspired/influenced by and that's Dame Laura. I always thought of golf as a bit boring but her grip it and rip it approach, bashing a little mound on the tee before smashing a drive a long way here, there and everywhere...find the ball and hit it hard again...loved it. Plus the fact she didn't seem to care a hoot about appearance/fashion and loved most sports (star on Q of Sport!) - just something out of the norm which made me notice golf more.

Yep, when playing in professional comps on Saturday round, she used to keep asking people in the crowd for updates on the footy scores.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Followers doesnt equate to competition wins or Majors.
For those of my time, Laura Davies and Christie Kerr along with Catriona Matthew.

 

[Imurg]

How do you categorise "influential"..?
How influential was Babe Zaharias?
How many people took up the game because of her?
I don't know but the numbers of women playing back then were not huge so it can reasonably be extrapolated that she can't have influenced big numbers.
Take Nelly and Jessica Korda...they must have got thousands of girls into the game in recent years..
Arguably more influential than the old school..
And, anyway, were the wrong people to ask....
How many of us middle aged blokes have been influenced by a female golfer..?
The correct answer is almost certainly Zero!
Ask the girls...they'll tell you.

 

[Blue in Munich]

How do you categorise "influential"..?
How influential was Babe Zaharias?
How many people took up the game because of her?
I don't know but the numbers of women playing back then were not huge so it can reasonably be extrapolated that she can't have influenced big numbers.
Take Nelly and Jessica Korda...they must have got thousands of girls into the game in recent years..
Arguably more influential than the old school..
And, anyway, were the wrong people to ask....
How many of us middle aged blokes have been influenced by a female golfer..?
The correct answer is almost certainly Zero!
Ask the girls...they'll tell you.

Well there don't seem to be a lot of responses on here from our lady members...

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Followers doesnt equate to competition wins or Majors.
For those of my time, Laura Davies and Christie Kerr along with Catriona Matthew.

Equally, wins don’t necessarily mean influential.
There have been loads of winners of women’s golf tournaments whom most people on this forum won’t have heard of.