Cara Gainer

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Cara Gainer

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| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1995|8|20|df=y}}

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| nationality = {{ENG}}

| residence = Oxford, England

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| college = Cardiff University

| yearpro = 2020

| tour = Ladies European Tour (joined 2021)

| extour = LET Access Series (joined 2020)

| prowins = 1

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| letwins = 1

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| nabisco = DNP

| lpga = DNP

| wusopen = DNP

| wbritopen = T61: 2023

| evian = DNP

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| award1 = LET Access Series Rookie of the Year

| year1 = 2020

}}

Cara Gainer (born 20 August 1995) is an English professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour. She was runner-up at the 2022 Belgian Ladies Open, the 2023 Amundi German Masters and won the 2025 Lalla Meryem Cup.{{cite web |title=Cara Gainer Player Profile |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/player-profiles/?player=911071 |publisher=Ladies European Tour |access-date=18 February 2023}}

Early life and amateur career

Gainer hails from Oxford and started playing golf relatively late, when she was 14-years-old, and became a scratch golfer at 17.{{cite web |title=Getting To Know Cara Gainer |url=https://ladieseuropeantour.com/blog/getting-to-knowcara-gainer/ |publisher=Ladies European Tour |date=29 October 2020 |access-date=18 February 2023}} Throughout that time she was a member at Frilford Heath Golf Club, along with Eddie Pepperell.

She was part of the Castle Royle High Performance Academy and was Castle Royle Ladies Champion in 2015, 2016, and 2017, and was Ladies' Amateur Champion of Oxfordshire County in 2016.{{cite web |title=Cara Gainer |url=https://cr.intelligentgolf.co.uk/cara_gainer |publisher=Castle Royle |access-date=18 February 2023}}

Gainer won the 2017 English Women's Open Match Play Championship at Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, and was in the England squad her final year as an amateur, competing internationally.

She graduated with a geography degree from Cardiff University in 2016.{{cite news |title=Oxfordshire Sports Awards: Spotlight on Cara Gainer |url=https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/15802265.oxfordshire-sports-awards-spotlight-cara-gainer/ |newspaper=Oxford Mail |first=James |last=Roberts |date=3 January 2018 |access-date=18 February 2023}}

Professional career

Gainer turned professional in January 2020 after the LET Q-School, and joined the LET Access Series.

In 2020, she recorded four top-20 finishes in five starts including a runner-up finish at the Czech Ladies Challenge in Prague. She ended the year in second place on the Order of Merit behind Tiia Koivisto, earning promotion to the Ladies European Tour (LET). She was also crowned LETAS Rookie of the Year.

In her rookie LET season, Gainer finished 90th in the Race to Costa del Sol. In 2022 she ended the season 41st, after she recorded a second place finish at the Belgian Ladies Open, one stroke behind Linn Grant. She held the overnight lead at the season finale, the Andalucia Costa Del Sol Open De España, after a 7-under 66 in the opening round, but then produced three rounds of 72 to finish tied 14th.{{cite web |title=Ladies European Tour: Linn Grant edging Maja Stark in Race to Costa del Sol as England's Cara Gainer leads Open de Espana |url=https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/12754811/ladies-european-tour-linn-grant-edging-maja-stark-in-race-to-costa-del-sol-as-englands-cara-gainer-leads-open-de-espana |publisher=Sky Sports |date=25 November 2022 |access-date=18 February 2023}}{{cite web |title=Gainer leads after round one on LET season ending event |url=https://gulfnews.com/sport/golf-in-uae/world/gainer-leads-after-round-one-on-let-season-ending-event-1.1669357747098 |publisher=Golf News |date=25 November 2022 |access-date=18 February 2023}}

In 2023, Gainer finished 3rd at the La Sella Open and lost a playoff at the Amundi German Masters to Kristýna Napoleaová to finish the season 16th in the Order of Merit. She captured her maiden LET title at the 2025 Lalla Meryem Cup by birdying the first hole in a playoff against Diksha Dagar.{{cite news |title=Ladies European Tour: Cara Gainer wins first LET event at Lalla Meryem Cup after dramatic play-off |url=https://www.skysports.com/golf/news/12176/13305381/ladies-european-tour-cara-gainer-wins-first-let-event-at-lalla-meryem-cup-after-dramatic-play-off |access-date=9 February 2025 |work=Sky Sports |date=8 February 2025}}

Amateur wins

2017 English Women's Open Match Play Championship

Source:{{cite web |title=Cara Gainer |url=https://www.wagr.com/playerprofile/cara-gainer-27702 |publisher=World Amateur Golf Rankings |access-date=18 February 2023}}