Leonie Harm completed one of the greatest comeback stories in sporting history on Sunday at the Amundi German Masters clinching a maiden Ladies European Tour (LET) title 13 years on from surviving a life-threatening road accident – one which left her with just a 1% chance of survival.
At 15-years-old, Harm’s life veered dramatically when she was hit by a drunk driver travelling at 45mph in the early hours of the morning.
“I got hit by a car when I was out jogging in before school in the morning,” Harm explains. “I got put into a coma and suffered some pretty serious injuries. I miraculously recovered. I woke up from the coma and it was weird, I knew what had happened to me but I had no memory of the event. Everyone around me who thought I was going to die was like, ‘please don’t worry about golf, just be safe.’”
Severe brain injuries, multiple bone fractures and other damage to her body did not stop Harm from making a rapid, almost full, recovery. Only seven weeks later she returned to the golf course.
“I managed to pick golf up really quickly after the accident,” the German said. “By the time 2014 came around, I managed to win a German Championship and in 2015 I qualified for the PING Junior Solheim Cup at my home club.”
Harm would begin a college career at the University of Houston in 2016, going on to set multiple programme records and claiming four individual NCAA titles – all while obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences.
Fast forward to 2026 and Harm, now into her seventh year on the LET, would birdie the final two holes at her home open in Hamburg to complete the ultimate comeback story, pipping top seed Casandra Alexander to win the Amundi German Masters title with a winning score of 10-under par.
Incredibly, Harm’s improbable comeback story extends further than the near-death experience too. On her road to becoming an LET winner, the resilient German was also forced to overcome the tragic death of her mother to cancer.
On top of that, Harm also thought about quitting the game altogether in 2024 following a dip in form and swing difficulties. But while caddying for close friend Momoka Kobori in Saudi Arabia, a chance encounter would change everything for the popular German.
“I had the most fortunate turn of events,” Harm explained at last year’s Hills Ladies Open in Sweden. “My career was over. I was about to end it and retire after the Hero Women’s Indian Open. I was kind of on the verge of turning insane because nothing was working on the course even though I was working so hard. I decided to call it quits but suddenly everything changed after some turn of events.
“I found a coach in the most unlikely of places. I was in Saudi Arabia at Riyadh Golf Club where we went for the Aramco Team Series. I was caddying for Momoka and decided to hit a few balls on the range. A coach, Scott Edwards, was watching and asked if I minded him getting involved. I thought at this point, honestly, knock yourself out because I was ready to quit!
“He made a few tweaks and suddenly everything started to feel more like my swing again. I was then able to work on all the other parts of my game. I made a few trips over to work with him and instantly started seeing improvements.”
Two years later and Harm’s “fairytale is complete” – the stunning victory in Germany marking a career breakthrough fuelled by years of resilience for the popular figure
“Resilience is a good thing, and I have shown this at times, but I believe right now I’m in a good spot mentally and for it to then be paired with success in golf is such a great feeling because I didn’t have to be miserable,” Harm said following the triumph.
