Morgan Pressel qualified for her first U.S. Women’s Open at age 12, finding the national spotlight long before she could drive a car. Four years later, she nearly won the whole thing at Cherry Hills Country Club, shortly after her 17th birthday. Birdie Kim’s hole-out bunker shot on the 72nd hole dashed Pressel’s chances of becoming the second amateur to win the championship.
She’d go on to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur later that summer.
Pressel turned 36 years old on Thursday, May 23, 2024, and while she’s now retired from competitive golf after 16 seasons on tour, the 2007 Kraft Nabisco champion still plays a prominent role in the women’s game as lead analyst for Golf Channel/NBC’s LPGA coverage.
When the tour heads to Lancaster Country Club next week for the 79th U.S. Women’s Open, Pressel will once again be in the booth shaping the conversation. She tied for fifth at Lancaster when the club first hosted the Women’s Open in 2015.
Take a look back on Pressel’s career through the years: