The women of the golf world are currently giving their best at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play. The tournament is taking place at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada. Many notable female golfers are showing their extraordinary skills at the course, including Angel Yin, Sei Young Kim, Anna Nordqvist, Jennifer Kupcho, Stacy Lewis, and many more.
One name, though, stands out among all of these exalted players: Albane Valenzuela. Swiss professional golfer Valenzuela, is just 25 years old. Despite being young, she has already had a significant impact on golf with her extraordinary abilities and competitive spirit. Here’s all you need to know about the rising star.
Meet the young prodigy and her impressive game
Albane Valenzuela began playing golf at the tender age of five after discovering a passion for the game. She played golf for Stanford University while she was a student there. Her team’s triumph at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship in 2015 was her first notable victory. She competed in the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as well, placing 21st. In 2020, Valenzuela made her LPGA Tour debut. She participated in six tournaments during that season, and her best result came at the Marathon Classic, where she tied for the 26th place. She competed in 15 tournaments during the 2021 LPGA season, placing in a tie for 18th at the ANA Inspiration.
The 25-year-old also took home solo victories with so many commendable performances, including the 2019 Swiss International Ladies Championship and the 2017 European Ladies’ Amateur Championship. Additionally, she competed for Switzerland in the biannual World Amateur Team Championship, as well as the 2018 and 2020 Espirito Santo Trophies.
And currently at Shadow Creeks, Valenzuela advances to the quarterfinals after beating Anna Nordqvist in a round-of-16 match. Albane Valenzuela, who has so much to offer the golfing community, is also not hesitant to give back to the larger community.
Valenzuela and her family’s noble cause
When Valenzuela was a little girl, she not only discovered her love of golf but also discovered what autism was. Her younger brother, Alexis, was diagnosed with being on the spectrum of autism when he was just three years old. He couldn’t even speak until the age of five. The doctors had clearly stated that he couldn’t attend school in this position. Nevertheless, her parents persisted in trying to help their child and began speech therapy. Alexi now lives a normal life and speaks three languages thanks to the love, commitment, and inspiration of his parents.
The Alexis for Autism program, which supports research into early intervention for young children with autism, is currently being worked on by the entire family. Alexis Valenzuela is the major driving force behind this effort. In order to spread awareness and assist with meeting a dire need for a full-time therapist whose services will be offered to people in need, they also have a website, alexisforautism.com. They raised over $300,000 for genetic research at their first event in Geneva.
“My brother Alex started his foundation right after the 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur, when he carried the bag for me,” said Albane. “My brother had his personal battle and I think it’s very important to help others. As athletes, we have a duty to help people and leverage our platform to talk about causes we care about.”
The golf industry is incredibly fortunate to have such a talented athlete who not only gives her all on the course, but also tries to make the world a better place by working towards important causes. How do you feel about Albane Valenzuela’s initiative and game? Let us know in the comments below.
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