It's been a whirlwind year for Stacy Lewis: nine top-10 finishes in LPGA Tournaments, a wedding one week before she carded a fourth place finish in the Rio Olympics and a second-place points ranking in the race for a berth on Team USA for the 2017 Solheim Cup.
Although Lewis started playing golf at age 8, it would have been difficult to picture her as one of the world's best. At age 11, she was diagnosed with scoliosis that was so severe she wore a back brace for 18 hours every day. Once she graduated high school, Lewis underwent surgery to correct the curvature in her spine. If her golf game is any indicator, the surgery was a success.
Since joining the LPGA Tour in 2009, Lewis, who resides in Houston, has captured 11 tournament victories, including two majors: the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship and the 2013 RICOH Women's British Open. She was named LPGA Player of the Year in 2012 and again in 2014. This year, she ranks Number 8 in the world due in part to her runner up finish at the Cambia Portland Classic and second-place ties at the Yokohama Tire Classic and Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic.
Lewis has become a fixture in international competition. She is currently competing to play in her fourth Solheim Cup, having represented the USA in 2011, 2013 and 2015. She has a combined 4-7-1 record in the three tournaments.
"Every hole feels like the last hole of a tournament with a one-shot lead," Lewis said of her Solheim Cup experience. "There's so much pressure; so much excitement.
"You go to the first tee and people are singing and chanting on the first tee before we even start warming up. You realize how big it is when you get a country behind you," she added.
Lewis's international competition also includes a dramatic come-from-behind victory at this year's UL International Crown at the Merit Club in Gurnee, Illinois. Team USA, including Lexi Thompson, Gerina Piller and Cristie Kerr, beat out seven countries in the 72-hole match-play tournament. Lewis again appeared on the international stage at the 2016 Olympic Games. Though she didn’t bring home a medal, Lewis was the top U.S. player. The effort was a sure success given the trip to Rio took place just nine days after a significant personal milestone - her wedding to Gerrod Chadwell, the University of Houston women's golf coach.
See Stacy Lewis and many other talented golfers in Iowa next year. Get your tickets now for the 2017 Solheim Cup at Des Moines Golf and Country Club, August 14-20.
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