Sarah Schmelzel

Last updated

Sarah Schmelzel
Personal information
Full nameSarah Hawley Schmelzel
Born (1994-05-12) May 12, 1994 (age 31)
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Sporting nationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Career
College University of South Carolina
Turned professional2016
Current tour(s) LPGA Tour (joined 2019)
Former tour(s) Symetra Tour (joined 2017)
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron Championship T6: 2025
Women's PGA C'ship T9: 2024
U.S. Women's Open T14: 2025
Women's British Open T29: 2024
Evian Championship T28: 2023

Sarah Hawley Schmelzel (born May 12, 1994) is an American professional golfer and LPGA Tour member. [1]

Contents

Early life, college and amateur career

Schmelzel grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. [1] Although she started playing golf when she was five, Schmelzel first competed in gymnastics. She was a talented at uneven bars and was an Arizona State Champion in the discipline. In 2001, she watched Annika Sörenstam card a 59 at her home course of Moon Valley, which sparked a passion for the game. [2] [3]

Schmelzel was highly ranked in both the National Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings and the Golfweek junior rankings. She was a standout at Xavier Prep and won the 2011 Arizona State High School Championship. Schmelzel led her school to its third team state title in four years, and carded rounds of 71-66 at the state championship to tie the Arizona state high school record with Amanda Blumenherst. [4] She won the AJGA Bass Pro Shops/Payne Stewart Championship by 12 strokes with rounds of 69-71-70. [5]

Schmelzel attended the University of South Carolina between 2012 and 2016 and played on the South Carolina Gamecocks women's golf team, where she captured one individual title. She was on the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team and was an honorable mention All-American as a senior. [4]

Professional career

Schmelzel turned professional after graduating and joined the 2017 Symetra Tour. In her second season, she recorded seven top-10 finishes, including four top-five results in her last five events to finish 13th on the Epson Tour money list. She finished third at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2019 season. [1]

In 2021, Schmelzel finished tied 17th at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play, after her opponent Carlota Ciganda was assessed a slow-play penalty. Ciganda and Schmelzel came to the 18th hole tied, but as the slow-play penalty in match play is loss of hole, Schmelzel was awarded the hole, and won the match 1-up. [6]

In 2022, Schmelzel made six birdies in her final seven holes to jump up the leaderboard into solo third at the LPGA Drive On Championship, her career-best finish on the LPGA Tour so far. [7] [8]

On March 10, 2024, she had her best finish, second-place at the Blue Bay LPGA tournament, with a 273 (−15) to first-time LPGA winner Bailey Tardy who shot a new tournament record 269 (−19). Schmelzel earned $208,128 to the winner's $330,000. [9]

Amateur wins

Source: [10]

Results in LPGA majors

Tournament2019202020212022202320242025
Chevron Championship T75T44T2566CUTT6
U.S. Women's Open CUTT23CUTCUTT14
Women's PGA Championship T14T54CUTCUTT15T9CUT
The Evian Championship CUTNTCUTT65T28T44T49
Women's British Open T51CUTT48CUTT29T36
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Chevron Championship 00001265
U.S. Women's Open 00000252
Women's PGA Championship 00001374
The Evian Championship 00000064
Women's British Open 00000064
Totals0000273019

LPGA Tour career summary

YearTournaments
played
Cuts
made*
Wins2nds3rdsTop
10s
Best
finish
Earnings
($)
Money
list rank
Scoring
average
Scoring
rank
2019 252000016251,2846871.7282
2020 15120001T6198,6016171.3529
2021 25160001T6264,7976871.3266
2022 242000133584,3765370.7638
2023 27200002T10477,7345971.1350
2024 261901072928,9663971.0941
Totals^1421070111522,705,758167

Official as of 2024 season [11] [12] [13]
* Includes matchplay and other tournaments without a cut.

World ranking

Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.

YearWorld
ranking
Source
2018382 [14]
2019142 [15]
2020115 [16]
2021131 [17]
202283 [18]
2023100 [19]
202471 [20]

U.S. national 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
%
Career42–2–00–1–01–1–01–0–0250.0
2024 42–2–00–1–0 lost to M. Sagström 1 dn1–1–0 won w/ L. Vu 3&2
lost w/ L. Vu 4&3
1–0–0 won w/ L. Coughlin 3&2250.0

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sarah Schmelzell Bio". LPGA Tour. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. "Sarah Schmelzel Witnessed Annika's 59". Epson Tour. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. "Phoenix's Sarah Schmelzel Enjoys Homecoming At LPGA Founders Cup". AZ Central. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  4. 1 2 "Women's Golf Roster". South Carolina Gamecocks. June 22, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  5. "Bass Pro Shops / Payne Stewart Junior Championship". American Junior Golf Association. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  6. Melton, Zephyr (May 26, 2021). "LPGA pro hit with devastating slow-play penalty in match-play event". Golf. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  7. "Leona Maguire Earns Maiden Tour Victory At Drive On Championship". Ladies European Tour. July 2, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  8. "Maguire makes history". Golf Australia. Associated Press. February 7, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  9. "Bailey Tardy Becomes Rolex First-Time Winner at Blue Bay LPGA". LPGA. March 10, 2024.
  10. "Sarah Schmelzel". Junior Golf Association of Arizona. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  11. "Sarah Schmelzel stats". LPGA. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  12. "Sarah Schmelzel results". LPGA. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  13. "Career Money". LPGA. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
  14. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 31, 2018.
  15. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 30, 2019.
  16. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 28, 2020.
  17. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 27, 2021.
  18. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 26, 2022.
  19. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 25, 2023.
  20. "Women's World Golf Rankings". December 30, 2024.