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Paula Creamer is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. She has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events, and was the 2010 U.S. Women's Open champion. Creamer took time off from competitive golf in 2018 due to a thumb injury and later became a mother in 2022. She has since returned to the LPGA Tour with renewed motivation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Paula Creamer |
| Profession | Golfer |
| Date of Birth | 5 August 1986 |
| Current age | 36 |
| Child | Daughter, Hilton Rose Creamer |
| Partner | Shane Kennedy |
| LPGA Tour wins | 10 |
| Total wins | 12 |
| Highest Women's World Golf Ranking | 2 |
| Last LPGA Tour | 2023 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational |
| Charitable work | The First Tee |
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What You'll Learn
Paula Creamer's golf career
Paula Creamer is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. Born on 5 August 1986 in Mountain View, California, Creamer started playing golf at the age of 10. During her amateur career, she won 19 national tournaments, including 11 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. She joined the LPGA Tour in the 2005 season, and her victory in that year's Sybase Classic made her the LPGA's second-youngest event winner.
In 2006, Creamer was ranked second in the inaugural Women's World Golf Rankings. However, she did not win any tournaments that year due to wrist and foot injuries. The following year, she rebounded with two LPGA Tour titles, winning the SBS Open at Turtle Bay and The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions. In 2010, Creamer won her first major tournament, the U.S. Women's Open, despite being forced to take an extended break from golf earlier in the season due to a thumb injury.
Creamer has won a total of 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events, and has been as high as number 2 in the Women's World Golf Rankings. She is known for her accurate ball-striking abilities but has also been criticised for her relatively short drives. Creamer has also been recognised for her charitable work, including her support for The First Tee, an organisation that benefits junior golfers.
After taking a break from competitive golf in 2021 to give birth to her first child, Creamer returned to the LPGA Tour in 2023. She played in 13 tournaments that year, missing the cut in all but two. As of the end of the 2023 season, Creamer was 19th on the all-time LPGA career money list with earnings of $12,161,187.
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Injuries and setbacks
Paula Creamer has had multiple injuries and setbacks throughout her career. In 2006, she was hampered by wrist and foot injuries, although she still managed to earn over $1 million and make the cut in all 27 LPGA tournaments, with 14 top-10 finishes.
In 2010, she won her first major, the U.S. Women's Open, despite an injured left thumb that required surgery. She had first sustained the injury in June 2009 at the Wegmans LPGA tournament and was forced to withdraw from the first event of the 2010 season. During surgery, more severe damage to her thumb was discovered, including ulnar collateral ligament and palmar plate tears. She took an extended break from golf and her thumb was still healing when she returned in June 2010.
In 2017, Creamer missed the cut four times in five tournaments, including the U.S. Women's Open. She had to play a qualifier to earn a spot in the Women's British Open and did not make the initial Solheim Cup team. She was, however, chosen as an alternate after another player withdrew due to injury. Creamer won three of her four matches, helping the U.S. team retain the Cup. Later in the year, she had to withdraw from the Evian Championship due to a left wrist injury and underwent season-ending surgery.
Creamer took a break from tournament play for over a year due to maternity leave, returning in mid-2022. She has also spoken about the challenges of returning to competition after giving birth, explaining that she needed to take a medical leave to recover her strength.
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Charitable work
Yes, Paula Creamer is a professional golfer on the LPGA Tour. She has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events, and was the 2010 U.S. Women's Open champion.
Paula Creamer has been involved in charitable work for The First Tee since 2005. The organisation benefits junior golfers, and Creamer hosts the annual Paula 4 Kids Celebrity Event to raise funds for The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee. She has also appeared at youth golf clinics and donated scholarships to IMG Academy. Creamer has her own foundation, which supports junior golfers and military families.
Creamer has also been recognised for her work in fundraising and philanthropy outside of golf. She has worked as the Director of Philanthropy at Good Shepherd Hospice - Chapters Health Foundation for over 20 years, and has extensive experience in marketing campaign design and business development.
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Personal life
Paula Creamer, born on August 5, 1986, in Mountain View, California, is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. Creamer started playing golf at the age of 10 and went on to win numerous junior golf titles as an amateur, including 11 American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments. She joined the LPGA Tour in the 2005 season and became the LPGA's second-youngest event winner. Creamer's family home overlooked the first tee of the Castlewood Country Club's golf course.
Creamer has been successful in her professional career, winning 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events. She has ranked as high as number 2 in the Women's World Golf Rankings and was the 2010 U.S. Women's Open champion. Creamer has also faced injuries during her career, including a left thumb injury in 2010 that required surgery and an extended absence from golf. Despite this setback, she came back strong and won the U.S. Women's Open upon her return.
As for her personal life, Creamer has been married and divorced. She announced her engagement to Derek Heath, a United Airlines pilot and Air Force veteran, in 2013, and they married in 2014. In 2018, Creamer shared that they were no longer together. She later became engaged to former baseball player Shane Kennedy, with whom she welcomed her first child, a daughter named Hilton Rose, in 2022.
In addition to her golfing achievements, Creamer is also known for her charitable work. Since 2005, she has been involved with The First Tee, an organization that supports junior golfers. She hosts the annual Paula 4 Kids Celebrity Event to raise funds for The First Tee of Sarasota/Manatee. Creamer has also been active in supporting youth golf clinics and providing scholarships to IMG Academy. Her charitable foundation extends its support to both junior golfers and military families.
Juggling her professional golf career and motherhood has been a challenge for Creamer, as she strives to excel in both roles. She has expressed the difficulty of balancing the demands of being a full-time mother while also competing on the LPGA Tour. Despite the challenges, Creamer remains dedicated to her sport and is determined to succeed in both aspects of her life.
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Comeback and motivation
Paula Creamer is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. As a professional, she has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events. She was the 2010 U.S. Women's Open champion.
In 2018, Creamer and her then-husband, Derek Heath, separated. She is now engaged to former baseball player Shane Kennedy, with whom she welcomed her first child, a daughter named Hilton Rose, in 2022.
After more than a year away from competitive golf, Creamer returned to the LPGA Tour as a new mom with a renewed sense of motivation and focus. She is now working hard to lift another trophy on tour. In an interview with GOLF, Creamer shared that she wants to show her daughter what she can do:
> "I've worked hard enough that I believe I can do that. It would be great, obviously, to win in front of Hilton. That would be just a dream come true. But I also want to show her what I can do: having her and being a mom but also going out and trying to succeed in my career."
Creamer also acknowledged the challenge of balancing motherhood and her golf career, noting that it's easy to revert to old habits and that she has had to overcome mental blocks. She credits her improved swing speed to learning how to use her body more effectively, particularly her legs, the ground, and her feet. Creamer is determined to win again and is setting her sights on competing with the LPGA's young guns.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, as of 2023, Paula Creamer is still playing golf competitively.
Paula Creamer has achieved many accolades in her golfing career. She has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events, and was the 2010 U.S. Women's Open champion. She has also been ranked as high as number 2 in the Women's World Golf Rankings.
In an interview in 2023, Creamer stated that she wanted to win again and that she had worked hard on her golf swing. She also wanted to show her daughter what she could achieve as a mother and a professional golfer.
Yes, Creamer has had several injuries that have impacted her career. In 2009, she sustained a left thumb injury that required surgery and forced her to take an extended break from golf. She has also dealt with wrist and foot injuries that hampered her 2006 season.
