Sarah Kemp Bio
Sarah Kemp (born 7 December 1985) is an Australian professional golfer who has competed on the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour (LET), and the ALPG Tour for most of her career. She has built a reputation as a steady international competitor with multiple runner-up finishes at major events on three continents. Throughout her career, Kemp has been a consistent presence on leaderboards in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Kemp now splits her residence between Tuncurry, New South Wales, Australia, and Orlando, Florida, in the United States. She stands 165 cm tall and is recognized for her longevity in the professional game, having turned professional in 2005.
Early Life and Background
Sarah Kemp was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 7 December 1985. She began playing golf at the age of 12, and her talent became apparent during her teenage years. From 2001 to 2003, she was the top-ranked junior golfer in New South Wales, a strong indication of her early potential in the sport.
In 2003, she was recognized as the top amateur in her home state. That same year, she was runner-up at the Australian Girls’ Amateur before going on to win the title. She also earned low amateur honors at the 2003 Women’s Australian Open, signaling her arrival on the national stage. She added the Australian Women’s Amateur Stroke Play Championship to her résumé in both 2003 and 2005.
Kemp also represented Australia internationally as an amateur. In 2003, she was part of the teams that won both the Commonwealth Trophy and the Tasman Cup. The following year, she played on the Espirito Santo Trophy World Cup team in Puerto Rico, gaining valuable experience in team match-play competition before turning professional.
Path to Golf
Kemp’s progression through the amateur ranks in Australia gave her a strong foundation for a professional career. Her success in national amateur events and her international team appearances in 2003 and 2004 helped her transition smoothly into the professional tours. By the second half of 2005, she was ready to make the move into paid golf.
She began on the ALPG Tour, where she quickly found her footing. In 2006, she won the Titanium Ladies Golf Classic and the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic in consecutive weeks, finishing her rookie season second on the ALPG Tour Order of Merit. Her early results demonstrated that she had the consistency and competitiveness to succeed across multiple tours.
Sarah Kemp Career
Early Career (2005-2007)
After turning professional in the second half of 2005, Sarah Kemp joined the ALPG Tour and quickly made an impact. Her consecutive wins at the Titanium Ladies Golf Classic and the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic in 2006 established her as one of the top rookies on the tour. By the end of that season, she was ranked second on the ALPG Tour Order of Merit.
Kemp also pursued opportunities in Europe, earning co-medalist honors at LET Qualifying School and joining the Ladies European Tour in 2006. Her LET rookie season produced three top-10 finishes, including a runner-up result at the Catalonia Ladies Masters and a third-place finish at the Ladies Open of Portugal. In 2007, she continued her strong form with tied-third results at the Ladies Italian Open and the Northern Ireland Ladies Open.
Ladies European Tour Breakthrough (2006-2018)
Sarah Kemp’s years on the Ladies European Tour featured several notable near-misses. She was runner-up at the 2010 New Zealand Women’s Open and added another runner-up finish at the 2018 Lalla Meryem Cup, where she lost a playoff to Jenny Haglund. Her consistent play in Europe showed she could compete on a variety of courses and in different conditions.
She also posted a third-place finish at the 2016 Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open, the 2017 Hero Women’s Indian Open, and the 2018 Lacoste Ladies Open de France. These performances underscored her versatility on the LET and helped maintain her playing status on the tour for many years.
LPGA Tour Era (2008-Present)
Sarah Kemp joined the LPGA Tour in 2008 after a strong finish at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in late 2007, where she birdied her final four holes to tie for ninth and earn her playing card. Her best result on the LPGA Tour came at the 2019 Women’s Victorian Open, where she finished as runner-up.
In 2023, at the age of 37, she recorded a solo fourth-place finish at the Volunteers of America Classic, which matched her career-high Order of Merit ranking of 59th. That same year, she joined fellow Australians Minjee Lee, Hannah Green, and Stephanie Kyriacou at the International Crown, where Team Australia finished second. By the end of the 2024 season, Kemp ranked fifth on the ALPG Tour All-Time Order of Merit, behind Karrie Webb, Laura Davies, Katherine Kirk, and Su Oh.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the signature moments of Sarah Kemp’s career came at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in late 2007, when she birdied her final four holes to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2008 season. Her runner-up finish at the 2018 Lalla Meryem Cup, which ended in a playoff loss to Jenny Haglund, remains one of the most memorable near-misses of her career in Europe. Her fifth-place standing on the ALPG Tour All-Time Order of Merit by the end of 2024 also stands as a major milestone in her career.
Sarah Kemp Career Wins
Sarah Kemp has accumulated 12 professional wins on the WPGA Tour of Australasia, the most of any tour during her career. Her victories span a long career that began in 2006 and have established her as one of the most successful Australian players of her generation.
WPGA Tour of Australasia Highlights
Kemp’s first professional wins came in consecutive weeks in 2006, when she captured the Titanium Ladies Golf Classic and the Jack Newton Celebrity Classic on the ALPG Tour. Those back-to-back titles signaled her arrival as a professional and helped her finish second on the ALPG Tour Order of Merit in her rookie season.
Over the years, she continued to add to her total on the WPGA Tour of Australasia, reaching 12 career wins by the end of the 2024 season. Her sustained success on the tour was recognized in 2019 when she was named the ALPG Tour Order of Merit winner.
Other Wins & Performances
Beyond her WPGA Tour of Australasia victories, Sarah Kemp has posted strong results on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Her runner-up finishes at the Catalonia Ladies Masters, the New Zealand Women’s Open, the Lalla Meryem Cup, and the Women’s Victorian Open highlight her ability to contend on multiple tours.
Sarah Kemp Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
There is limited verified public information about Sarah Kemp’s family background and her introduction to golf. What is known is that she began playing the sport at the age of 12 and quickly developed into one of the top junior players in New South Wales.
Personal Life
Sarah Kemp is married to Lisa Cornwell. She continues to divide her time between her Australian home in Tuncurry, New South Wales, and her residence in Orlando, Florida, allowing her to compete on tours in both the Southern and Northern Hemispheres throughout the year.
2025 Season Performance
As Sarah Kemp enters the 2025 season, she continues to compete across the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, and the WPGA Tour of Australasia. Her long-standing presence on the all-time ALPG Order of Merit, where she sits fifth, reflects her continued competitiveness in Australian events.
Following her career-high 59th-place finish on the LPGA Tour Order of Merit in 2023, Kemp will look to build on the momentum of her solo fourth-place result at the Volunteers of America Classic. Her experience and consistency make her a regular contender at events on multiple tours, and her schedule typically includes a mix of LPGA, LET, and ALPG events throughout the year.
Kemp’s partnership with her support team and her established base in Orlando give her a strong platform for competing in the United States during the LPGA season, while her Tuncurry residence allows her to remain connected to the Australian circuit. With 12 WPGA Tour of Australasia titles and a 2019 ALPG Order of Merit to her name, she remains a respected figure in women’s golf heading into the 2025 campaign.