ProDreamUSA client Alice Hewson rounded off a memorable rookie season as a professional golfer with a top-20 finish at the Andalucía Open de Espana and with it clinched an impressive 11th place in the Ladies European Tour rankings.
The young English golfer, who enjoyed a record-breaking four years at Clemson University in South Carolina, had a whirlwind start to the Ladies European Tour season, winning the Investec South African Women's Open at Westlake Golf Club in Cape Town in mid-March, which was the last tournament played before the coronavirus pandemic caused a global pause to competitive play. The 22-year-old two-time GB&I Curtis Cup player came from three strokes behind Olivia Cowan to win by a stroke with a final round 71, netting an opening pay cheque of 30,000 euros.
While the pandemic crisis halted her charge, she wasted no time post-lockdown in landing her second professional win, this time coming in the Grand Final of the Rose Ladies Series at Wentworth, with rounds of 67 and 70, where she also finished 6th overall in the Order of Merit. Returning to the main Tour, she landed a creditable top-40 finish at the ASI Ladies Scottish Open thanks to an excellent final round 69 in East Lothian.
Her next regular Tour event didn’t come until November in Dubai, where Alice shared 30th spot and she enjoyed another strong week at the Saudi Ladies Team International, again finishing with a 69 to land a share of 33rd place.
The final event in the Race to Costa Del Sol saw Hewson once again finish strongly and the former European Ladies Amateur Champion will certainly be pleased with her debut season and looking forward to continuing her impressive upward progress heading confidently into 2021.
Her time at Clemson was certainly memorable, winning the first two events she played in and she also became the first Englishwomen to play competitively at the home of The Masters in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She was a three-time first-team All-ACC, the only player in Clemson history to do that and was also the first Clemson women’s golfer to earn the league all-star team honor four consecutive years. Reflecting on her four years in the States, Alice said:
“Being at Clemson really changed me as a person and as a golfer. I had to grow up a lot when I went to university, especially being 4,000 miles away from home. Not only was I practicing more than ever and studying accounting, I had to time manage to get my laundry done, find extra time to study and get enough sleep! It was tough to juggle everything, but it really prepares you for real life. The facilities we had at Clemson are some of the best in the country. We had two different grasses for the greens, inside hitting bays, grass range, track man and every other gadget you could think of. It’s hard not to get better when you’re in that type of environment.
“I absolutely loved my time in the States – I wouldn’t trade it for anything,”
To find out more on Clemson University Tiger’s Women’s Golf, click here.