Mel Reid Bio
Melissa Rose Reid (born 19 September 1987) is an English professional golfer who competed on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Over the course of her career she collected seven professional victories, including six on the Ladies European Tour and one on the LPGA Tour, and represented Europe in the Solheim Cup. In October 2020, she won her maiden LPGA Tour event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, the headline achievement of a career that began in her teens on amateur fairways across Britain and Europe.
Early Life and Background
Reid was born on 19 September 1987 in Derby, England, and grew up in the United Kingdom. Standing 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) tall, she developed her game in the English amateur circuit during her teenage years, winning the English Girls’ Championship in 2004 and 2005. Those junior titles signalled an early talent and established her as one of the most promising young players in British women’s golf.
As an amateur she added the Helen Holm Trophy in 2006 and 2007, the St Rule Trophy in 2007, and the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in 2007. In 2006 she played on the Great Britain and Ireland team at the Curtis Cup, a traditional stage for elite amateurs from the British Isles. Her standing as a top amateur was confirmed when she was the low amateur at the 2007 Women’s British Open, finishing tied for 16th.
Path to Professional Golf
Reid turned professional in late 2007, beginning her journey toward the Ladies European Tour. An initial attempt to earn her card at the LET Qualifying School in Italy was unsuccessful, and she joined the tour in 2008 on sponsor invitations. A third-place finish at the Australian Open in early February helped her climb into the top 20 on the money list and secure entry into LET events for the remainder of the season.
By the end of 2008, Reid had finished 12th on the LET money list and was named LET Rookie of the Year, the clearest signal that her transition from amateur standout to tour professional was complete. That rookie award set the stage for her first tour victory in 2010 and a steady rise through the European ranks in the years that followed.
Mel Reid Career
Early Career (2007–2009)
Reid’s earliest professional appearances included a start at the Dubai Ladies Masters in 2007, where she finished tied for 35th, the only LET event she played that year as a professional. After joining the Ladies European Tour on invitations in 2008, her third-place result at the Australian Open was the breakthrough that allowed her to stay inside the top 20 on the money list and earn a full schedule of LET events for the rest of the season.
Her rookie campaign closed with a 12th-place finish on the LET money list and the Rookie of the Year award, recognition that reflected both her consistency and her rapid adjustment to life as a touring professional.
Ladies European Tour Breakthrough (2010–2012)
Reid’s first LET victory arrived in 2010 at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, confirming that her rookie-season promise could be converted into titles. She followed that breakthrough with two wins in 2011, the most productive single season of her European career.
Her form in 2011 also carried her to the top of the LET rankings and onto the European team for the 2011 Solheim Cup, a highlight that reflected her status as one of the leading players in European women’s golf at the time.
LPGA Tour and Later Career (2013–2020)
As Reid expanded her schedule across tours, she began posting strong finishes in LPGA major championships. She recorded a tied for third finish at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2019, a tied for seventh at the 2020 Chevron Championship, and a tied for ninth at the 2015 Women’s British Open, results that demonstrated her ability to compete at the highest level of the women’s game.
The defining moment of her career came in October 2020, when she won her maiden LPGA Tour title at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. That victory confirmed her standing as a transatlantic competitor capable of winning on both major women’s tours.
Final Years (2021–2024)
Reid continued to play across both tours in the early 2020s, adding a tied for 46th finish at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open and a tied for 37th at the 2019 Evian Championship to her major record. Her career total stands at seven professional wins, with six on the Ladies European Tour and one on the LPGA Tour.
Reid retired following the 2024 season, closing a professional career that began in 2007 and produced a Solheim Cup appearance, an LET Rookie of the Year award, and seven international victories.
Driving Style and Strengths
Reid built her career on consistency and competitive temperament, qualities that carried her from junior titles in England to the winner’s circle on two tours. Her steady ball striking and aggressive short game were central to her breakthrough wins on the Ladies European Tour and to her maiden LPGA victory in 2020.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature milestones include her 2010 win at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, her selection to the 2011 European Solheim Cup team, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship tied for third finish, and her maiden LPGA Tour victory at the 2020 ShopRite LPGA Classic, the win that defined her later career.
Mel Reid Career Wins
Reid accumulated seven professional victories across her career, including one LPGA Tour title and six Ladies European Tour titles. Her first LET win came in 2010 at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, and she added two more LET victories in 2011. Her maiden LPGA Tour victory arrived in October 2020 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
Ladies European Tour Highlights
Reid’s six Ladies European Tour victories began with the 2010 Turkish Airlines Ladies Open and continued through two wins in 2011, the season in which she led the LET rankings and earned a Solheim Cup berth. Her LET titles established her as one of the tour’s consistent winners throughout the early part of her career.
Other Wins and Performances
As an amateur, Reid won the English Girls’ Championship in 2004 and 2005, the Helen Holm Trophy in 2006 and 2007, the 2007 St Rule Trophy, and the 2007 Ladies’ British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship. She was also the low amateur at the 2007 Women’s British Open.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladies European Tour | 6 | — | — |
| LPGA Tour | 1 | — | — |
Mel Reid Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Reid was born and raised in Derby, England, where she developed her early golf game before moving into the international amateur and professional circuits. Her upbringing in the English Midlands supported a junior career that produced multiple national amateur titles.
Personal Life
In May 2012, Reid’s mother, Joy, was killed in an automobile crash near Munich while travelling to watch her daughter compete in a Ladies European Tour event. Reid returned to competition but spoke publicly about the personal toll, telling ESPN in September 2015 that she had struggled in the years that followed. On 10 December 2018, Reid came out as gay in an interview with Athlete Ally.
2025 Season Performance
Reid retired following the 2024 season, so the 2025 season does not include competitive play. Her official career record closed with seven professional victories, including one LPGA Tour title and six Ladies European Tour titles, alongside one Solheim Cup appearance for Europe.
Her major championship ledger features a tied for third at the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship, a tied for seventh at the 2020 Chevron Championship, a tied for ninth at the 2015 Women’s British Open, a tied for 37th at the 2019 Evian Championship, and a tied for 46th at the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, results that summarise her strongest work at the highest level of the women’s game.
With Reid now retired, attention in 2025 shifts to her legacy as a two-time tour winner, a former Solheim Cup player, and the 2008 LET Rookie of the Year, all earned across a career that stretched from her amateur teens in Derby to her final professional appearances in 2024.