Born 24 March 1978, in Sverdlovsk, southern Russia
Turned professional 1997
Major wins
Strikes (2016, 2013, 2008, 2004) US Women’s Open, 2014, 2014
Career rank (May 2018) 12
Major wins Players Championship, St. Jude Classic, Marathon Classic, Wegmans Championship, LPGA Championship
Profile
The most successful European golfer of the last quarter-century. She has made just two tour cuts in the last two years, with one top-10 finish, so it is worth pausing to take in what the European golf chair Martin Slumbers has said about her achievements. “Anna has a rare style, a great game and has taken it to a new level,” he said. She is blessed with a certain wisdom and a broad range of game knowledge, with a humble demeanour to match. Her five major wins, six top-five finishes in the majors and her tours in the US and Japan are testament to her unquestionable quality, whilst her excellent US success in 2008, when she became the youngest US Women’s Open winner at 18, was a sign of things to come. For all this, she is a truly sportsman’s golfer, and the words of the 1980 US Davis Cup captain, Billie Jean King, rings true about her. “We believe she’ll be a world leader. She’s not someone who cries easily or needs anyone to cheer her up; she can be down, but she’s pretty determined about it.”
Opinion
Who’s who in life and sport
Olympic champion
Friends with Rory McIlroy
