Dani Holmqvist Bio
Daniela Yvonne Holmqvist, known professionally as Dani Holmqvist, is a Swedish professional golfer born on 3 May 1988. A graduate of two major American collegiate programs, she has competed across the Ladies European Tour, the Symetra Tour, and the LPGA Tour since turning professional in 2012. She gained global attention at the 2020 Women’s British Open, where she stood as the only player under-par through 36 holes at Royal Troon.
Early Life and Background
Holmqvist was born in Bern, Switzerland, to Swedish parents Hans Holmqvist and Yvonne Holmqvist. Her father, Hans Holmqvist, is a former Swedish professional footballer who earned 27 caps for the Sweden national team and was playing for BSC Young Boys in Bern at the time of her birth. The family later returned to Sweden, where she completed high school in Stockholm and developed her early golf game within the Swedish national development system.
Growing up in a sporting household, Holmqvist was exposed to elite-level athletics from a young age, with her father’s international football career providing a clear example of professional dedication. She combined that grounding with strong junior results in Sweden, which positioned her as the highest-ranked Swedish amateur by the time she finished high school.
Path to Golf
After completing high school in Stockholm, Holmqvist moved to the United States to play college golf at Tulane University. In her freshman year she earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors and won the Conference USA Championship individually by a record ten strokes, helping the Green Wave capture the team title as well.
As a sophomore she transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, where she joined the California Golden Bears. With the Golden Bears she helped win the 2012 Pac-12 Championship and was recognized with All-American honors, capping one of the strongest amateur resumes of any Swedish player of her generation. She also represented Sweden at the 2011 European Ladies’ Team Championship, posting a perfect 3-0 record, and played on the Swedish team at the 2012 Espirito Santo Trophy alongside Madelene Sagström.
Dani Holmqvist Career
Early Career (2012-2014)
Holmqvist turned professional in 2012 and immediately reached the final of the Ladies Norwegian Challenge as a runner-up. She spent 2013 and 2014 on the Ladies European Tour, where she first gained international headlines in her rookie season. During a qualifying round for the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Canberra Golf Club, she was bitten on the leg by what officials believed was a redback spider. She swatted it away, used a golf tee to pierce the skin and squeeze out the venom, and continued her round.
In 2014 she secured her first professional victory at the Mount Broughton Classic in New South Wales, Australia, confirming her potential on the international circuit. She also added a win on the Swedish Golf Tour and an ALPG Tour title, giving her a diversified early resume across multiple tours.
LPGA Breakthrough (2015-2018)
Holmqvist joined the Symetra Tour in 2015 and quickly earned her LPGA Tour card for 2016. She finished fifth on the Symetra Tour money list that season, highlighted by her win at the Island Resort Championship and five additional top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge. The performance marked a decisive breakthrough from the developmental circuit to the premier women’s tour.
Over the next two seasons she established herself as a steady LPGA Tour presence. In 2018 she posted a career-best 75th-place finish on the LPGA Tour Money List, demonstrating consistency across a full schedule. She was, however, sidelined for most of the 2019 campaign by a back injury that interrupted her momentum.
Return to Form and Royal Troon (2020-2023)
Holmqvist returned strongly at the 2020 Women’s British Open at Royal Troon. She held a one-shot lead heading into the weekend as the only player under-par after 36 holes, producing one of the most memorable major-championship runs of her career. The performance announced her comeback after the injury-interrupted 2019 season.
In 2021 she finished 115th on the LPGA Tour rankings, and she spent much of 2022 on the Epson Tour, where she was runner-up at the Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic. She earned her LPGA Tour card back for 2023 by finishing T21 at LPGA Q-Series, then produced a career-best major-week showing at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, where she led by one stroke entering the final round and ultimately tied for fourth.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Holmqvist’s career, the 2020 Women’s British Open stands out, where she was the lone under-par player through two rounds at Royal Troon. Her 2016 Symetra Tour campaign, featuring the Island Resort Championship win and a fifth-place money-list finish, secured her full LPGA Tour membership. The 2014 Mount Broughton Classic delivered her first professional title, while the spider-bite incident at Royal Canberra in 2013 introduced her to a global audience.
Dani Holmqvist Career Wins
Holmqvist has accumulated three documented professional wins across the Swedish Golf Tour, the ALPG Tour, and the Symetra Tour, along with multiple collegiate and amateur titles. Her professional victories span Australia, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a career built across multiple tours.
Tour Highlights
Her breakthrough Symetra Tour victory came at the 2016 Island Resort Championship, a result that clinched her 2016 LPGA Tour card. Earlier, in 2014, she won the Mount Broughton Classic in New South Wales for her first professional title. She has also added wins on the Swedish Golf Tour and the ALPG Tour, underscoring her versatility across competitive landscapes.
Other Wins & Performances
As an amateur she was a Conference USA individual champion and helped Tulane win the team title, then contributed to the California Golden Bears’ 2012 Pac-12 Championship before earning All-American honors. At the international amateur level she posted a perfect 3-0 record at the 2011 European Ladies’ Team Championship and represented Sweden at the 2012 Espirito Santo Trophy.
Dani Holmqvist Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Holmqvist was raised in a deeply sporting family shaped by her father Hans Holmqvist’s football career. A former Swedish international with 27 caps, Hans played for BSC Young Boys in Bern when Dani was born, giving the family a Swiss start before returning to Sweden. Her mother, Yvonne Holmqvist, supported the family’s transition between Switzerland and Stockholm.
Personal Life
Holmqvist is a Swedish national who resides in Jupiter, Florida, a popular base for professional golfers competing on the LPGA Tour. She has kept her personal and family life largely private, with public records focused on her sporting career rather than relationships or family beyond her parents.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 LPGA Tour season, Holmqvist continues her comeback arc that began with her career-best tie for fourth at the 2023 ShopRite LPGA Classic. Residing in Jupiter, Florida, she benefits from year-round training conditions alongside many of her LPGA peers.
Her 2020 Royal Troon performance established that she can contend on major-championship stages, and her 2022 runner-up finish on the Epson Tour showed that her game remained competitive after injury setbacks. Building on her T21 finish at LPGA Q-Series to return to the LPGA Tour, she carries momentum into the new campaign.
With the 2025 schedule offering a full slate of LPGA Tour events, Holmqvist will look to translate past major contention into sustained top finishes. Her experience across the Ladies European Tour, Symetra Tour, Epson Tour, and LPGA Tour gives her a flexible foundation as she works to climb the rankings.