If you believe that tall golfers have an advantage over shorter players, then think again.
While it holds true that 6ft tall golfers such as Lexi Thompson and Anna Nordqvist can capitalise on their inherent advantage of longer limbs to create a larger swing arc for greater distance off the tee, shorter golfers have their own set of advantages.
Golfers with a shorter stature benefit from a lower centre of gravity and this enhances better balance and stability, which is particularly advantageous in windy conditions.
The average height of players on the LPGA Tour is 5' 6"/1.67m, but you only need to take a look at the world's top 3 female players on the Rolex World Rankings to see that when it comes to golf, for the most part, height is irrelevant.
Topping the ranking list is America’s Lilia Vu, a four-time 2023 title winner, including two Majors, who stands at 5’ 4”/1.63m. Ruoning Yin from China cuts an extremely petite figure at only 5' 2"/1.57m, and she's followed by Frenchwoman Celine Boutier who matches Vu in height.
Only a few players were undefeated at the 2023 Solheim Cup in Finca Cortestin in Spain, and one of those was Megan Khang. The American, who is the first LPGA Tour player of Hmong and Laotian descent, is just 5’ 1”/1.55m.
Yet these are not the shortest players to compete on the LPGA Tour. Amelia Rorer, who debuted in 1975 holds the record for the shortest ever at 4’ 11.5’ tall. Alison Nicholas, winner of the 1997 Women’s USA Open and two-time Solheim Cup Captain is just 5’ 0”/153m, which matches the same height as the shortest player currently competing on the LPGA Tour, four-time winner Akaya Furue from Japan.
Shortest Players On The LPGA Tour
- Akaya Furue - 5’ 0”/153m
- Meghan Kang - 5’ 1”/1.55m
- Moriya Jutanugarn - 5’ 1”/1.55m
- Ruoning Yin - 5' 2"/1.57m
- Cristie Kerr - 5' 3"/1.60m
- In-Kyung Kim - 5' 3"/1.60m
- Atthaya Thitikul - 5' 3.5"/162m
- Lilia Vu - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Celine Boutier - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Jenny Shin - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Sei Young Kim - 5’ 4”/1.63m
- Lizette Salas - 5’ 4”/1.63
