Who's who: Alison Nicholas

  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Prince's GC, England
  • Torrey Pines - South course, host of the Farmers Insurance Open
  • Terras da Comporta, Dunas
  • Monte Rei G&CC
  • Marco Simone GC (Italy); host of the Ryder Cup 2023
  • Pebble Beach host of the US Open; US Women's Open; Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Marco Simone GC

Who's who: Alison Nicholas

  • Name:

    Alison Nicholas
  • Country:

    England
  • Born:

    March 6, 1962 in Gibraltar.
  • Original/Home Club:

    Hallamshire GC, Sheffield, S Yorks.
  • Occupation:

    Professional golfer, golf instructor and golf day organiser.
  • Turned Pro:

    1984
  • Website:

    https://www.alisonnicholas.co.uk

Roll of Honour

MAJORS (1): US Women's Open (1997). Solheim Cup player (1990, '92, '94, '96, '98, 2000). Solheim Cup captain (2009, '11). Multiple wins on the Ladies European Tour (12), LPGA Tour (4) and other international professional tours. Ladies European Tour Order of Merit winner (1997). Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire, MBE (1998).

Did you know?

Starting golf at age 17, and rapidly becoming a very accomplished amateur golfer, Nicholas turned professional in 1984, aged 22. Three years later she won the British Women's Open (not recognised by the LPGA as a major championship at that time), and 10 years after that secured a fully recognised major, winning the 1997 U.S. Women's Open. A member of six European Solheim Cup teams, Nicholas captained the losing European team in 2009 in Illinois, but led her team to success two years later in Ireland.

Top tournaments won by Alison Nicholas

1999
America
209 (-7)
$97,500
Sunrise

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

209 (-7)

Prize money

$97,500

Title sponsor

Sunrise

Played as the Sunrise Hawaiian Ladies Open (Feb 18-20). Second-placed Moira Dunn (USA) and Annette DeLuca (USA) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng), who recorded the last of her four LPGA Tour wins. [Kapolei GC, Kapolei, Oahu, Hawaii].

Category

Majors

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

274 (-10)

Prize money

$232,500

Title sponsor

USGA

The US Women's Open (52nd) (July 10-13). Second-placed Nancy Lopez (USA) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng), who claimed her only LPGA-recognised major championship win. This was the fourth runner-up finish for Lopez in her national Open, a championship she was never destined to win. [Witch Hollow course, Pumpkin Ridge GC, nr Portland, OR].

1997
Awards
£94,589
see Score
WPG Eurpn Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Score

£94,589

Prize money

see Score

Title sponsor

WPG Eurpn Tr

Nicholas (Eng) won the WPG European Tour 1997 Order of Merit, with earnings of £94,589 on the Tour. Helen Alfredsson (Swe) was second with £92,927; Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (Fra) was third with £89,523.

1997
Awards
x
n/a
WPG Eurpn Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Score

x

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

WPG Eurpn Tr

Nicholas (Eng) won the Women Professional Golfers' European Tr Players' Player of the Year Award, based on the votes of her peers.

1996
Europe
Citywest
277 (-11)
£16,500
Guardian

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Citywest

Score

277 (-11)

Prize money

£16,500

Title sponsor

Guardian

Played as the Guardian Irish Open (July 25-28). Second-placed Trish Johnson (Eng) finished 8 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [Citywest Resort GC, Saggart, nr Dublin, Ireland].

1995
America
207 (-9)
$75,000
PING-AT&T

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

207 (-9)

Prize money

$75,000

Title sponsor

PING-AT&T

Played as the PING-AT&T Wireless Services LPGA Golf Championship (Sept 8-10). Second-placed Kelly Robbins (USA) finished 1 shot behind Alison Nicholas (Eng), who recorded her second LPGA Tour win. [Columbia Edgewater CC, Portland, Oregon].

1995
Europe
272 (-16)
£11,250
Payne & Gunter

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

272 (-16)

Prize money

£11,250

Title sponsor

Payne & Gunter

Played as the Payne & Gunter Scottish Women's Open (Aug 3-6; next played in 2007). Second-placed Patricia Meunier (Fra) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng). [East course, Dalmahoy Hotel & CC, Midlothian].

1995
America
Corning CC
275 (-13)
$82,500
Corning

Category

America

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Corning CC

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

$82,500

Title sponsor

Corning

Played as the LPGA Corning Classic (May 25-28). Second-placed Barb Mucha (USA) and Danielle Ammaccapane (USA) finished 3 shots behind first-time LPGA Tour winner Nicholas (Eng). [Corning CC, Corning, nr Elmira, New York].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

275 (-9)

Prize money

£12,000

Title sponsor

AGF

Played as the AGF Open de Paris (May 7-10). Second-placed Alicia Dibos (Peru) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng). [Vallée course, Racing Club de France (RCF), La Boulie GC, Versailles, nr Paris].

1991
Awards
71.71
n/a
WPG Eurpn Tr

Category

Awards

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Score

71.71

Prize money

n/a

Title sponsor

WPG Eurpn Tr

Nicholas (Eng) won the Vivien Saunders Trophy, recording the season's lowest stroke average on the Women Professional Golfers' European Tour.

1990
Europe
275 (-13)
£7,800
Variety Club

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

275 (-13)

Prize money

£7,800

Title sponsor

Variety Club

Played as the Variety Club Celebrity Classic (Aug 30-Sept 2). Second-placed Sofia Gronberg (Swe) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng). [Calcot Park GC, Reading, Berks, England].

1989
Europe
269 (-19)
£12,000
Lufthansa

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

269 (-19)

Prize money

£12,000

Title sponsor

Lufthansa

Played as the Lufthansa Ladies German Open. Second-placed Patricia Gonzales (Colombia) finished 5 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [GC Wörthsee, nr Munich, Germany].

1989
Europe
213 (-3)
£7,500
Qualitair

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

213 (-3)

Prize money

£7,500

Title sponsor

Qualitair

Played as the Qualitair Classic. Second-placed Sofia Gronberg (Swe) and Peggy Conley (USA) finished 2 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [La Manga Club, nr Cartagena, Murcia, Spain].

1989
Europe
Isaberg GK
288 (E)
£9,750
Gisvaled

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Isaberg GK

Score

288 (E)

Prize money

£9,750

Title sponsor

Gisvaled

Played as the Gisvaled Ladies Open (Aug 24-27). Second-placed Liselotte Neumann (Swe) finished 2 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [GC Wörthsee, nr Munich, Germany].

1988
Europe
274
£6,000
James Capel

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

274

Prize money

£6,000

Title sponsor

James Capel

Played as the James Capel Guernsey Open. Second-placed Alison Sheard (RSA) finished 2 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [Royal Guernsey GC, L'Ancresse, Guernsey, Channel Islands].

1988
Europe
204 (-12)
£6,500
Variety Club

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

204 (-12)

Prize money

£6,500

Title sponsor

Variety Club

Played as the Variety Club Celebrity Classic. Second-placed Dale Reid (Scot) finished 4 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [Calcot Park GC, Reading, Berks, England].

1988
Europe
Moor Hall GC
283 (-9)
£4,500
Olivetti

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

Moor Hall GC

Score

283 (-9)

Prize money

£4,500

Title sponsor

Olivetti

Played as the British Olivetti Tournament. Second-placed and defending champion Jane Connachan (Scot) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng). [Moor Hall GC, Sutton Coldfield, nr Birmingham, England].

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Score

281

Prize money

£4,500

Title sponsor

Laing

Played as the Laing Ladies Classic. Second-placed Corinne Dibnah (Aus) finished 2 shots behind Nicholas (Eng). [Stoke Park CC, Stoke Poges, Bucks; at the time known as Stoke Poges GC].

1987
Europe
St Mellion (Kernouw)
296 (+4)
£15,000
Weetabix

Category

Europe

Winner (holder)

Nicholas, Alison

Venue

St Mellion (Kernouw)

Score

296 (+4)

Prize money

£15,000

Title sponsor

Weetabix

Played as the Weetabix Women's British Open. Second-placed Muffin Spencer-Devlin (USA) and defending champion Laura Davies (Eng) finished 1 shot behind Nicholas (Eng). [Kernouw course, St Mellion Intl Resort, St Mellion, Cornwall; at the time called the Old course].

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Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

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Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.

Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.

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Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available

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