Laura Jane Davies was born on 5 October 1963 in Coventry, Warwickshire. In 1968, her family moved to Georgia, USA, for three years, where her father worked as an engineer for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation. Following her parents’ divorce, the family returned to the UK in 1971 and settled in Surrey, where Davies still lives today.

She took up golf at age 10 at Corby Municipal Golf Club, playing alongside her father and older brother, and later developed her game at Guildford and West Byfleet Golf Clubs under the influence of club professional David Regan. She turned professional in 1985.

Davies went on to become one of the most successful golfers of her generation, winning 86 professional titles worldwide across the LPGA Tour, Ladies European Tour and other circuits, including four major championships, headlined by her breakthrough 1987 US Women’s Open win. She was the first golfer, male or female, to win tournaments on five continents in a single year.

Since retiring from full-time competition, she has become a leading TV commentator, working with the BBC (from 2001) and Sky Sports Golf, covering marquee events including the Solheim Cup and the 2018 Ryder Cup. She was made a Dame in 2014 for services to golf.