Natalie Gulbis first hit a golf ball when she was 4 years old and her father began teaching her to play golf. She soon fell in love with the sport. From the very beginning it seemed like I was drawn to golf,” says Natalie. At age 7, she won her first tournament and at age 10, she first broke par. When she was 14, she became the youngest player to ever qualify for an LPGA event when she won the California State Women’s Amateur, the Longs Drug Challenge, near her home in Sacramento.
In 2000-2001, Natalie attended the University of Arizona, where she won three tournaments and was recognized with First Team All-American honors. After her freshman season in 2001, Natalie competed in the LPGA Tour Qualifying Tournament and earned a spot on Tour. During her rookie season in 2002, Natalie tied for fifth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic. These two performances propelled her into second place in the LPGA Tour Rookie of the Year standings.
After solid performances in 2003 and 2004, Natalie experienced a breakout season in 2005, finishing tied for third at the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill and the State Farm Classic and earning over $1 million for the first time in her career. She also qualified for her first Solheim Cup and scored three points for the victorious U.S. team.
Natalie’s game and confidence strengthened throughout 2006, as she recorded a tie for third at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship (her fourth straight top-ten finish at a major dating back to 2005) and a tie for second at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic (losing in a playoff).
In 2007, Natalie earned her first LPGA victory when she became a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Evian Masters where she defeated Jeong Jang in a one-hole, sudden-death playoff and crossed the $3 million mark in career earnings with her victory. That same year, she posted four additional top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the ADT Championship, finished tied for third at The Mitchell Company LPGA Tournament of Champions, tied for fourth at the Longs Drugs Challenge and tied for ninth at the LPGA Corning Classic. Natalie also made her second appearance on the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup Team.
Natalie’s popularity and fan following have soared as she has become a recognizable figure both on and off the golf course. She has starred in her own reality television series on the Golf Channel, created her own line of fashion calendars, contributed to numerous charities and graced red carpets for Fashion Week and The Grammys.
In March 2009, Natalie competed on the latest edition of the hit NBC series The Celebrity Apprentice. In the show, celebrity contestants competed to raise money for charity.
