Essential Golf: A passion for the Game

Career of Cristie Kerr, 20-Time Winner on LPGA TOUR

There can be no doubt that Cristie Kerr’s 20 LPGA TOUR wins prove her golf worth. But what else do we know about her? Cristie Kerr began playing golf when she was eight years old and enjoyed many amateur wins before she turned professional in 1996 and joined the LPGA TOUR in 1997.

It was not until 2002 that she got her first LPGA TOUR win and from there on she never looked back. By 2004 she was one of the best LPGA TOUR players and now has 20 LPGA TOUR wins to her name.

In the Rolex Ranking, she is currently at number 94 but has been the World Number One during 2010 and has appeared in the golf top ten seven times over the past 14 years, a stat that goes to show her skill and dedication to the game.

She is a skilled solo player but has also been a regular in the Solheim Cup over the years, being selected 9 times over the past 17 years.

Cristie Kerr’s LPGA TOUR Wins

  • April 21, 2002 – Longs Drugs Challenge
  • April 17, 2004 – LPGA Takefuji Classic
  • June 20, 1994 – Shoprite LPGA Classic
  • September 5, 2004 – State Farm Classic
  • May 8, 2005 – Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill
  • August 28, 2005 – Wendy’s Championship for Children
  • May 7, 2006 – Franklin American Mortgage Championship
  • August 13, 2006 – CN Canadian Women’s Open
  • September 10, 2006 – John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic
  • July 1, 2007 – U.S. Women’s Open
  • August 24, 2008 – Safeway Classic
  • May 10, 2009 – Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill
  • June 13, 2010 – LPGA State Farm Classic
  • June 27, 2010 – LPGA Championship
  • November 11, 2012 – Lorena Ochoa Invitational
  • May 5, 2013 – Kingsmill Championship
  • March 29, 2015 – Kia Classic
  • November 22, 2015 – CME Group Tour Championship
  • April 15, 2017 – Lotte Championship
  • October 29, 2017 – Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia

Personal Life

Cristie Kerr is the daughter of Linda and Michael Kerr. Her mother’s side of the family originates from Sicily but Kerr was raised in Florida. Her father was a Baseball player and his sporting competitive streak was clearly passed on to his daughter. She has been vocal in sharing that when she is told she can’t, she will fight to prove she can and her resilience has brought her both personal and professional success.

In school, Kerr had to play on the boys’ golf team as there was no female team in her high school—she credits this with being the moment she became a fighter as she was given a lot of grief and was made fun of for being the only girl in the team. As a former victim of school bullying, Kerr has gone on to show the world what she is made of. Not only has Kerr produced excellence on the green, but she is also a winemaker and philanthropist. As the owner of Kerr Cellars and Curvature Wines, she focuses her winemaking on limited edition, fine wines.

Kerr’s family has endured many issues over the years and her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2003. Rather than crumble, Kerr used her platform to raise money for cancer research and took on the role of spokesperson for the Evelyn Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation. She has also founded Birdie for Breast Cancer and her work for the foundation pays homage to her mom, aunt and godmother who have all endured the disease—to date her foundation has raised over three million dollars

In 2006, Kerr married Erik Stevens, a businessman who is also the President of Kerr’s wine operations. Kerr was unable to get pregnant naturally and so the couple decided to work with a surrogate to start their own family. In 2013 the couple had their first child, Mason and then went on to have a second child in 2018, another son named Griffin. Kerr has been vocal about the joy she has enjoyed from being a mom and the family is often seen together looking happy.

Kerr is famous for her friendship with Donald Trump and has shown him her support over the years. Not only have they played golf together but Kerr has enjoyed an honorary membership at all of his golf courses. She even made an appearance on his show ‘The Apprentice’ before he became President of the United States.

Cristie Kerr

Born: October 12, 1977
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Turned pro: 1996

See also: With Zozo Win, Tiger Woods Equals PGA TOUR Record
Jason Day Wins Japan Skins
Tournament Preview: Invesco QQQ Championship