Following a prolific amateur career, Emma Spitz turned professional in August 2022 and knocked up four top-10 finishes on the Ladies European Tour (LET) as an invitee, including a fourth place finish at the Aland 100 Ladies Open.
The Austrian later secured her LET card for the 2023 season after placing T6 at Q-School, and has since enjoyed a solid start to the season – one which includes winning the U.S. Women’s Open European Qualifier in Belgium.
As she prepared to take on Pebble Beach in the third Major championship of the season, we caught up with Emma to hear about her golfing journey, her PING Junior Solheim Cup memories, and her goals for 2023…
Hometown: Vienna, Austria
Home Course: GC Schloss Schonborn
Age: 23
Started golf at: 7
Turned pro: 2022
I started playing golf when I was seven. We live on a course but not because of golf, because my parents wanted to live outside of the city. It just so happened to be on a golf course! Some friends from my school played golf at the club, so they were like ‘you should come and play with us’. One of the dad’s friends then started a training camp for all the kids from the school, so that’s how I started!
I scored 56 points in my first competition! The next summer they started a kids series in Austria when they had different stages and then a final to qualify for the US Kids World Championship. I played my first event with my brother – who had played for a little longer than me – and after the round he asked how it was, and I said, ‘I don’t know, it was fine,’ but I’d ended up getting 56 points!
Growing up in Austria, skiing is huge. Golf is not as big, so I was a big fan of skiing and Lindsey Vonn and Marcel Hirscher. Outside of golf, they were my big heroes. Then within golf, Rory McIlroy was the first player I really followed when I started watching golf.
In the beginning I didn’t enjoy golf at all! I thought it was boring. But then with this tournament series I found it a lot of fun and really enjoyed the competition. When I was 10 I had three events in one week, but my parents had booked a holiday that week, so I was like, ‘no, I can’t go, I need to play!’ So my grandparents had to drive me to all the tournaments. I enjoyed it and played really well. After that I knew I wanted to be a golfer.
Winning the Girls Amateur Championship is the biggest win I’ve had. I didn’t expect it at all. I’ve always enjoyed playing in the wind and that week it was super windy, horrible weather. It was about keeping the ball in play which at that time was really good for me. Then playing at Augusta at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur was really cool.
I played with Esther Henseleit at the PING Junior Solheim Cup and we were won all our matches! I played with Olivia [Mehaffey] too and we won all our matches. So having these memories with these girls who I am now playing with on the LET is really cool. You play for more than just yourself. I played against Angel Yin, and then two years later she was playing on the actual Solheim Cup team. It was weird but it was really cool to see what can be achieved.
College was really fun. I didn’t know if I wanted to go at first. I decided pretty late, but after the first day I realised it was the best decision ever. It was such a fun time [at UCLA] and you learn so much about yourself and your golf. It teaches you so much and I would do it again if I could. The team was amazing, we got along so well.
Going into Q-School I wasn’t feeling really confident. I hadn’t been playing the best and I was kind of unsure of how I would do. But in a way it helped that I had to play both weeks, because I got to play the course more often. The bad weather also suited my game because I don’t hit it super high or spinny. Winning the first week then allowed me to be much more confident. I had a good plan and wasn’t that nervous after the first week.
I want to win this season. That would be very nice. Last year I got close when I played on invites, so I know there is a chance and that would be the ultimate goal. I then want to try and finish in the top 20 of the Race to Costa del Sol.
My boyfriend is a professional tennis player, so I also love to play tennis! I played when I was really little but now we go out and play sometimes, or I’ll go and watch him [Gerald Meltzer] play. I enjoy watching any kind of sport if I can. I played ice hockey as well when I was little, so I enjoy watching that as well as skiing. All sports are interesting!
Quickfire Q&A
- Who is your hero? Lindsey Vonn and Rory McIlroy
- What makes you happiest? Playing golf and being around family and friends
- Best friend in golf? Simar Singh
- Favourite food? Pasta
- Golfing superstitions? I play with number one golf balls on day one, number twos on day two
- Favourite travel destination? The Maldives
- What is your most treasured possession? A necklace I got from my Grandma
- Favourite Course? Augusta National
- Dream fourball? Me, Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Chris Martin
