Player Biography

NATALIE GULBIS Birthdate: January 7, 1983 Birthplace: Sacramento, Calif. Age: 24 Ht: 5'9" Home: Lake Las Vegas, Nev. College: Arizona Turned Professional: 2001
Joined LPGA Tour: 2002 LPGA Tour Wins: None Player Notes: At the age of 14, Gulbis became the youngest player to Monday qualify for an LPGA tournament (1997, Longs Drugs Challenge). She held the record for five years until Michelle Wie, 12, Monday-qualified for the 2002 LPGA Takefuji Classic…Represented California in two USGA Women’s State Team Championships and was the U.S. Women's Amateur medalist in 1999. She won four collegiate tournaments while at the University of Arizona, including the NCAA West Regional. She was named a First-Team All-America in 2001…Started playing golf at the age of 4...Credits her father John Gulbis as the individual most influencing her career...Hobbies include working out and running...Qualified for the Tour on her first attempt...Has her own Web site, www.nataliegulbis.com and her own calendar...Created The Natalie Gulbis Foundation in 2005. Professional 2006 • Recorded a career-best second at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Presented by Kroger, where she lost to Mi Hyun Kim on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff; also shot a season-low 65 in the final round. • Crossed the $2 million mark in career earnings at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, where she tied for third and recorded her best finish in a major championship. • One of only two players (Lorena Ochoa) to finish in the top 20 in all four major championships. • Posted five top-10 finishes, including a tie for fourth at the Fields Open in Hawaii, the MasterCard Classic Honoring Alejo Peralta and at the season-ending ADT Championship; tied for fifth at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and tied for seventh at the LPGA Corning Classic. • Recorded her second LPGA career hole-in-one during the second round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill. 2006 Stats (rank) Rds under par: 46/87 (18) Rds in the 60s: 26/87 (12) Birdies: 322 (9) Eagles: 5 (20) Greens in reg: 72.1% (7) Driving accuracy: 72.9% (54) Sand saves: 24.6% (158) Putts per GIR: 1.77 (11) Driving avg: 252.1 (77) 2005 • Tied for third at both the Michelob ULTRA Open, where she crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings, and State Farm Classic, the best finishes of her career. • Posted 10 additional top-10 finishes, including ties for fourth at the U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA, Office Depot Championship at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles and Samsung World Championship. • Posted a season-low 64 during the final round of the Longs Drugs Challenge. • Qualified for her first Solheim Cup and scored three points for the victorious U.S. Team. • Earned more than $1 million in a season for the first time in her career and set an LPGA record for most money earned in a season without a victory ($1,010,154). 2005 Stats (rank) Rds under par: 50/94 (4) Rds in the 60s: 22/94 (22) Birdies: 328 (3) Eagles: 4 (23) Greens in reg: 70.9% (10) Driving accuracy: 74.9% (57) Sand saves: 34.3% (97) Putts per GIR: 1.78 (8) Driving avg: 252.9 (33) 2004 Highlights • Recorded her season-best finish at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez, where she tied for seventh and carded a season-low 66 during the second round. • Posted an additional five top-15 finishes: tied for 10th at the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi; tied for 11th at both the BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open and the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic; tied for 13th at the Weetabix Women's British Open; and tied for 15th at the LPGA Takefuji Classic. • Also fired a 66 in the first round of the LPGA Corning Classic and the second round of the Wachovia LPGA Classic Hosted by Betsy King. • Carded her first LPGA career hole-in-one during the final round of the Safeway Classic Presented by Pepsi. 2004 Stats (Rank)   Rds under par: 41/89 (29)           Rds in the 60s: 19/89 (46)           Birdies: 296 (21)   Eagles: 7 (19)       Greens in reg: 67.1% (50)  Driving accuracy: 68.9% (99)   Sand saves: 33.3% (103)            Putts per GIR: 1.82 (53) Driving avg: 261 (18) 2003 Highlights • Tied for 12th at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez for her best finish of the season. • Tied for 13th at both the U.S. Women's Open and the Kellogg-Keebler Classic. • Carded a career-low 63 in the third round of the Welch's/Fry's Championship. 2003 Stats (Rank)   Rds under par: 33/82 (42)            Rds in the 60s: 20/82 (28)                Birdies: 260 (29)   Eagles: 3 (52)                     Greens in reg: 66.4% (38)                Driving accuracy: 70% (71)   Sand saves: 35.6% (90)              Putts per GIR: 1.81 (37)                  Driving avg: 247.9 (96) 2002 Highlights • Tied for fifth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic for her best finishes of the season. Carded a career-low 65 in the final round of the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL, where she tied for seventh; also finished eighth at the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship Hosted by Vince Gill and Amy Grant. • Finished second to Beth Bauer in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year points standings. 2002 Stats (rank) Rds under par: 29/77 (50) Rds in the 60s: 18/77 (30) Birdies: 235 (34) Eagles: 3 (56) Greens in reg: 65% (47) Driving accuracy: 70.7% (76) Sand saves: 41.5% (40) Putting avg: 29.97 (67) Driving avg: 250.6 (69 • In 2001, tied for third at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn exempt status for the 2002 season; won the LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament in Venice, Fla., by eight strokes.