Stacy Lewis Bio
Stacy Lewis, born on February 16, 1985, is an American professional golfer who competed on the LPGA Tour. She is a two-time major champion, winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2011 and the Women’s British Open in 2013, and she reached the top of the Women’s World Golf Rankings twice during her career. Lewis retired following the 2025 season, capping a professional journey marked by consistent contention, comeback wins, and leadership of the U.S. Solheim Cup team.
Early Life and Background
Stacy Lewis was born on February 16, 1985, in Toledo, Ohio. She grew up in Texas in The Woodlands, a suburb of Houston, and graduated from The Woodlands High School in 2003. Her introduction to competitive golf came during her childhood and teenage years in Texas, where she developed the work ethic and technical foundation that would later define her professional career.
At age 11, Lewis was diagnosed with scoliosis, a condition that ultimately required a spinal fusion surgery during her high school years. The procedure forced her to miss her first collegiate golf season while she recovered and rebuilt her swing. That early setback, rather than ending her prospects, sharpened her focus and resilience, qualities that became trademarks of her career.
Path to Professional Golf
Lewis accepted a scholarship to the University of Arkansas, where she became a four-time All-American and one of the most decorated amateurs in program history. She redshirted her first year while recovering from her back surgery, then burst onto the collegiate scene as a redshirt freshman in 2005 by winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament and earning SEC Freshman Golfer of the Year honors. She followed that with a Women’s Western Amateur title in 2006 and the NCAA Division I individual championship in 2007, the same year she was named Golf Digest Amateur of the Year and received the National Golf Coaches Association Dinah Shore Trophy.
As an amateur, Lewis also qualified for the 2007 U.S. Women’s Open, where she narrowly missed the cut, and captured a rain-shortened, unofficial win at the 2007 LPGA NW Arkansas Championship. In her senior season at Arkansas in 2008, she won the SEC Tournament again, earned SEC Golfer of the Year honors, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting. Her amateur career concluded with a record-setting performance at the 2008 Curtis Cup at the Old Course at St Andrews, where she became the first player to go 5-0 in a single Curtis Cup and helped the United States to a sixth consecutive team victory.
Stacy Lewis Career
Early Career (2008-2010)
Following the Curtis Cup, Lewis turned professional and won medalist honors at the Garland, Texas, sectional qualifying for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open. She opened her professional career with a tie for third at that major, then competed in seven LPGA events as a non-member, posting two top-10 finishes and earning more than $247,000. Unable to secure a tour card through sponsor’s exemptions, she entered the LPGA Qualifying Tournament later that year and won medalist honors by three shots, finishing six strokes ahead of fellow qualifier Michelle Wie.
Lewis joined the LPGA Tour full-time in 2009 and spent her first two seasons building experience and confidence. She signed endorsement deals with Mizuno golf clubs and Fila Golf apparel during this period, and in 2012 she added KPMG as a main sponsor. Those early years laid the groundwork for her breakthrough as one of the tour’s most consistent performers.
LPGA Tour Breakthrough (2011-2014)
Lewis announced herself on the game’s biggest stage in April 2011, capturing the Kraft Nabisco Championship by three strokes over world number one Yani Tseng for her first major title. Later that year, she made her Solheim Cup debut, qualifying second for the U.S. team behind Cristie Kerr. In 2012, she won four times and became the first American to earn LPGA Player of the Year since Beth Daniel in 1994, also taking the GWAA Female Player of the Year award.
Lewis won three times in 2013, including a victory at the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup that briefly returned her to the top of the Women’s World Golf Rankings. She reclaimed the number one position four weeks later before Inbee Park overtook her, and then captured her second major at the Women’s British Open at St Andrews, winning by two strokes. In 2014, Lewis won three times, including the ShopRite LPGA Classic, which returned her to world number one for 21 weeks, and she swept LPGA Player of the Year, the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average, and the LPGA Tour money title.
Later Career and Solheim Cup Captaincy (2015-2025)
Lewis remained a fixture on the leaderboard through the mid-2010s, finishing as the top female earner on the 2015 Golf Digest money list and contending in multiple majors. In September 2017, she won the Cambia Portland Classic and pledged her earnings, along with a matching donation from KPMG, to Hurricane Harvey relief, raising $390,000. She added her first title in nearly three years at the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, a playoff victory at The Renaissance Club.
Lewis transitioned into leadership as captain of the U.S. Solheim Cup team in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, she received The Founders Award in recognition of her contributions to the game. She retired following the 2025 season, closing out a career defined by major victories, world number one rankings, and a lasting impact on American women’s golf.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lewis built her reputation on course management, patience, and accurate iron play, traits that allowed her to thrive on setups demanding precision over raw distance. Her consistency and mental toughness, forged through her recovery from scoliosis surgery, made her a perennial contender in major championships and a respected voice in the locker room.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lewis’s career highlights include two major championship victories, 21 combined weeks at world number one, four-time All-American status at Arkansas, and her historic 5-0 Curtis Cup performance in 2008. Her $390,000 Hurricane Harvey donation in 2017 and her role as U.S. Solheim Cup captain in 2023 and 2024 cemented her reputation as one of the most influential American players of her generation.
Stacy Lewis Career Wins
Stacy Lewis collected 13 official LPGA Tour victories, plus one unofficial win as an amateur, for a total of 14 professional titles. Her win list spans regular tour events, co-sanctioned stops, and two major championships, reflecting more than a decade of consistent contention at the highest level of women’s golf.
Major Championship Highlights
Lewis broke through at the 2011 Kraft Nabisco Championship, leading after two rounds and holding off Yani Tseng by three strokes for her first major. Two years later, she won the Women’s British Open at St Andrews by two strokes over Na Yeon Choi and Hee Young Park at 8-under-par, claiming her second major title and cementing her place among the era’s elite players.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her majors, Lewis won the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup, the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the North Texas LPGA Shootout, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the Cambia Portland Classic, and the 2020 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, among others. She posted a 1-3 record in LPGA Tour playoffs and regularly recorded multiple top-10 finishes each season.
Stacy Lewis Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Lewis was raised in The Woodlands, Texas, after being born in Toledo, Ohio. Her family’s support was central as she navigated scoliosis treatment and a long recovery during her teenage years, allowing her to pursue collegiate and professional golf at the highest level.
Personal Life
Lewis is married to Gerrod Chadwell, who has served as the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies women’s golf team since 2021. The couple has one child. Lewis makes her home in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
2025 Season Performance
Lewis’s 2025 campaign served as a farewell tour, with her receiving The Founders Award in recognition of her contributions to the LPGA and women’s golf. She continued to compete selectively while serving in the broader ambassadorial role she had built through her Solheim Cup captaincy and longstanding charity work.
Her final season allowed Lewis to transition from active player to retired legend, closing the book on a career that included 13 official LPGA Tour wins, two major championships, and two stints at world number one. The 2025 campaign was less about leaderboard finishes and more about honoring a career that influenced a generation of American golfers.
Lewis retired following the 2025 season, leaving behind a legacy of perseverance, leadership, and competitive excellence. Her impact on the LPGA Tour, the Solheim Cup, and the broader women’s game is expected to endure well beyond her playing days.