Amy Taylor’s recent breakthrough victory at the Ladies Italian Open marks a significant milestone in what has been an eventful start to life as a professional golfer. After starting this season chasing status on the Ladies European Tour, the English player now has a three year exemption. Women & Golf caught up with the 23-year-old on the Monday after her victory to find out more about how she got into golf, her move to college in America and what tour life has been like since turning professional in 2022. Amy started playing golf when she was 10-years-old, after trying various sports such as tennis and swimming. Wanting to do something different from her older sister, she also attempted football but found it wasn't for her. It was her Dad who introduced her to golf at the club she is still a member of today, Bawburgh Golf Club on the outskirts of Norwich. By the age of 13, Amy was taking golf quite seriously and was participating in national tournaments, quickly proving her potential. By 16, her talent had caught the eye of Texas Tech University, which offered her a scholarship. "It was a super quick turnaround," she explains. "I pulled out of school, didn’t do A-levels, just did my GCSEs, and then went straight to university." The transition was swift and challenging, but Amy embraced it wholeheartedly, spending the next four and a half years honing her skills both academically and athletically in the United States. The initial years at Texas Tech were a period of adjustment, but they laid a strong foundation for her future success. "My first two years, I was just adjusting to being away from home, learning the different cultures out there, and learning more about golf," she says. It was in her final years at the university that Amy truly began to excel, taking her game to new heights and deciding to pursue golf as a career. After graduating with a degree in Psychology in May 2022, Amy turned professional the following month and joined the LET Access Series (LETAS). Although her start was slower than anticipated, she soon found her stride. A significant turning point came with her first professional win on the LETAS at the Calatayud Ladies Open. Unfortunately, despite the win she narrowly missed out on securing her LET card for 2023. "It was a weird experience because I won, which was exciting, but I also found out I hadn't finished in the top six," she reflects. So, LET Q-School beckoned, just before Christmas and it was disappointment again after missing out by one shot to get her top 20 LET card, “At the time, I felt like a lot of things were working against me, and had a little pity party for myself over that Christmas, picked myself back up and started the year again, I did okay. I was playing solidly at the beginning of 2023,” she recalls. Amy’s journey to her next victory was not without its setbacks. An injury in May 2023, diagnosed as Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, a condition that caused numbness in her left arm, caused her to miss several tournaments and posed a significant challenge. The road to recovery was arduous, involving extensive rehab and a renewed focus on maintaining her physical health. Amy managed to return to the sport, pain-free by the year's end, but without enough starts to help her gain her tour card for the following season. There was no moping around, with a continued drive to make sure she had as many playing opportunities as possible, Amy headed to Australia and the WPGA Tour of Australasia where she won the Women’s NSW Open Golf Regional Qualifying Event at Wagga Wagga Country Club and then competed in the Australian Open. Another trip to LET Q-School before Christmas, which started well but ended with Amy having no real status on the LET, she explains “I shot six under in the first round, and then mentally just imploded. So that was tough. I was a remaining final qualifier, which doesn't get you in a lot.” As Amy describes it, she spent the beginning of this year chasing status by heading back to Australia and then to South Africa where she managed to get three starts. She also played two LETAS events, with a third and fourth place finish to give her some self-belief. “The last couple of months, I felt good, like I could compete and then the week before Italy, in France, I shot a low first round, that gave me a lot of confidence coming into Italy.” Which all led to her victory in Italy, a final round three-under-par was enough to win by one shot at -10. A win that not only validated her belief in her abilities but also significantly altered her professional trajectory. The win has afforded Amy the luxury of planning her next two to three years, now she has a three year LET exemption, with greater certainty and ambition. "I've gone from having no control over my season to being able to plan the next two years," she remarks. Something else she can now look forward to is competing in her first Major at the AIG Women’s Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews, a dream that has now become a reality. Amy’s journey underscores the highs and lows of professional golf. From the challenges of adjusting to life in a new country and battling through injuries to the exhilaration of winning her first LET title. Has her first LET victory been a freeing experience? Amy explains: “I think that's what makes golf really difficult, especially professional golf, is that it is results based. If you're playing bad, you know in the back of your mind you may not have a job at the end of the year. So to know that I have that kind of pressure off me, I feel like this is just going to be a great couple of years, and it frees me up, and hopefully this was just the beginning.” Follow Amy’s progress on the LET via her Instagram @amyellentaylor. Also, Amy will be competing at the Armaco Team Series - London at Centurion Club from July 3-5, make sure you pick up your tickets - find out more.Bawburgh Golf Club
Moving to Texas and turning professional
LET Q-School and injury setback
Chasing status on tour
Breakthrough LET victory
Just the beginning
