Smriti Mehra

{{Short description|Indian professional golfer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}

{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Smriti Mehra

| image = 2010 Women's British Open - Smriti Mehra (3).jpg

| imagesize = 250px

| caption = Mehra during the 2010 Women's British Open

| fullname =

| nickname = Simi

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|5|12|df=y}}

| birth_place = Kolkata, West Bengal, India

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height = {{height|ft=5|in=5}}

| weight =

| nationality = {{IND}}

| residence =

| spouse =

| partner =

| children =

| college = University of Calcutta

| yearpro = 1994

| tour =

| extour = LPGA Tour (1997–2008)
Futures Tour (1994–2006)

| prowins = 4

| lpgawins =

| letwins =

| jlpgawins =

| klpgawins =

| lagtwins = 1

| alpgwins =

| futwins = 3

| otherwins =

| majorwins =

| nabisco = DNP

| lpga = CUT: 1998, 1999, 2002, 2003

| wusopen = T53: 2001

| dumaurier = T27: 1998

| wbritopen = CUT: 2001

| wghofid =

| wghofyear =

| award1 =

| year1 =

| award2 =

| year2 =

| awardssection =

}}

Smriti "Simi" Mehra (born 21 May 1972) is the first woman from India to become a member of the world's leading golf tour for women, the US-based LPGA Tour. She is recognized as "a pioneer and a pillar for women's golf in India".{{cite web |publisher=Women's Indian Open |title=Vani, Sharmila will join Aditi as Indian women's golf gains more attention |accessdate=20 February 2019 |url=http://www.womensindianopen.com/news2017/Vani-Sharmila-will-join-Aditi-as-Indian-womens-golf-gains-more-attention.php}} She was born in Kolkata, and attended the University of Calcutta before turning professional in 1994.

Mehra qualified for the LPGA Tour after a victory in the second-tier Futures Tour in 1996. She played in the LPGA Tour from 1997–1999, and from 2001-2004. Her career was interrupted by shoulder surgery in 2005, after which she took part in the Futures Tour in 2006 in the hope of regaining her place at the top level.

In October 2005, Mehra played LPGA Tour golfers Heather Daly-Donofrio, Hilary Lunke and Celeste Troche in the first Women's Professional Skins Game in India to demonstrate top level women's golf in her home country.

In 2012, Mehra was named the "Player of the Year" at the Hero-WGAI awards function. She was credited with being part of the team that stabilised the women's pro tour. She played in all 15 events and won seven of them.{{cite news |newspaper=Times of India |title=Smriti Mehra is Women's Professional Golf Player of the Year |date=11 April 2012 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/golf/top-stories/Smriti-Mehra-is-Womens-Professional-Golf-Player-of-the-Year/articleshow/12625097.cms}}

In addition to her own athletic accomplishments, Mehra impacted the golf world by co-founding the Women's Golf Association of India in order to offer Indian women golfers the opportunity to make golf a career.

Personal life

Mehra learned to play golf at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club, inspired by her mother, Billy, who had been one of Southeast Asia's leading amateur golfers. Mehra spends her free time teaching disadvantaged children through the Golf Foundation of India.{{cite magazine |magazine=Golf Digest |title=International Impact: Evian Masters wildcards Mariajo Uribe, Smriti Mehra, and Maria Verchenova all hail from different countries and are making their mark on the sport |date=23 July 2010 |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/golf-evian-0723}}

Amateur wins

  • 1993 Malaysian National Championship
  • 1994 Indian National Match Play Championship, Indian National Stroke Play Championship

Professional wins (4)

=Futures Tour wins (3)=

  • 1996 Green Mountain National FUTURES Golf Classic
  • 2004 Frye Classic, Hunters Oak FUTURES Golf Classic

=Ladies Asian Golf Tour wins (1)=

Team appearances

Professional

References

{{reflist}}