Three wins, an LPGA card earned, and a place in Order of Merit history. At just 23, Mimi Rhodes has rewritten the rookie rulebook. Jane Carter sat down with golf’s breakout star at the La Sella Open to discover the woman behind the headlines.
There’s a moment every professional athlete remembers. The phone call to mum. The doubts. The wondering if you’ve made a terrible mistake. For Mimi Rhodes, that moment came last February, at just her second LET event in Australia, when she missed the cut and felt her world collapsing.
A week later, she won her first professional tournament.
Welcome to the roller coaster ride that was Mimi Rhodes’ debut season on the Ladies European Tour: three victories, multiple top-five finishes, a second-place finish in the Order of Merit, an LPGA Tour card for 2026, and a young woman learning how to navigate the leap from college star to touring professional.
The Making of a Pro
It all started at Sunningdale. The pinnacle of her amateur career, as Rhodes describes it, playing in front of a home crowd with goosebumps running down her arms. She turned professional immediately afterwards, jumping straight into the Rose Ladies Series in early September.
Then came the grind of Q-School. Rhodes went for both tours — LPGA and LET — showing the ambition that would define her rookie season. At LPGA Q-School final stage, rain forced an extension to Monday, but her flight to LET Q-School meant she couldn’t finish the final five holes. She needed to birdie all of them to make the top 25.
“It was quite a grind because I was trying both tours,” Rhodes recalls. “I nearly ended up not getting my full LET card, which would have been disappointing. I just scraped into the top 20. I had to birdie two of my last three holes to get it.”
She did. And in late September, she claimed her first professional win at a Pro-Am on the Access Series. Doubts had already begun — but so had the wins.
The Three-Month Gap and the Reality Check
Q-School finished in December. The LET season didn’t begin until February, and in that gap the doubts crept in. Early events in Morocco and Saudi Arabia were steady but unspectacular. Then came Australia.
The first event was cancelled due to weather. At the second, Rhodes missed the cut.
“I was kind of rethinking my whole life strategy,” she admits. “I was so stressed about making the cut, about making money — because that’s how I’m going to earn a living.”
A call with her mum changed everything. “Don’t worry. This is your first year. You need experience. Don’t stress about the financial. You know how to play golf.”
A conversation with her coach followed. Some swing work. And then, everything clicked.
The next week, Rhodes won — leading from day one. Even when Alessandra Fanali closed the gap late on Sunday, Rhodes stayed in her own world.
“I was thinking, ‘I’ve done amazing already. If it doesn’t go my way, I’ll still have a great finish.’ So I just grinded it out.”
Family friends watched all four rounds in Sydney. Her family watched from home. Professional life, she decided, suited her just fine.
Back-to-Back Brilliance and Playing Under Pressure
A week later in South Africa, Rhodes won again. New altitude. Miserable weather. A shortened event. But one key difference: belief.
“I wanted to prove it wasn’t a fluke,” she says. “I was striking it well and playing off momentum.”
She thrives under pressure. “The adrenaline, the nerves — that’s why we play. There’s nothing like going down the last, one up.”
Her third victory in May nearly didn’t happen. She wasn’t planning to play after competing in Korea, but she trusts momentum more than range sessions.
There was another twist — she played without a caddy.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted from a caddy yet,” she explains. “It was like amateur golf again. I know my game better than anyone.”
Major Lessons: KPMG, Evian, and Finding Her Feet
With three wins came major championship invitations. The KPMG in Texas was her first — and overwhelming.
“I was around so many big names. I was putting next to Nelly Korda. I don’t think I was really focused on golf.”
The Evian Championship was more disappointing. Despite knowing the course from the Jabra Ladies Open weeks earlier, conditions were completely different.
“I should have practised more on slopes. It was disappointing, but I learned a lot.”
Around this time, Rhodes began working more closely with Karen Stupples and other LET legends, developing better routines and mental strategies.
“Sometimes it takes me four holes to really lock in,” she admits. “I should be ready from the first.”
By the time the AIG Women’s Open arrived at Royal Porthcawl, those lessons had landed. Rhodes made the cut, played well — and recorded a hole-in-one in front of 25 family members.
Life on Tour: Economy Flights and Energy Management
Rhodes has embraced life on tour, helped by the welcoming culture of the LET and her own independence.
“I still fly economy. Premium economy maybe — but business class is for when I’m 30,” she laughs.
She books her own travel, with help from her mum, who acts as an unofficial travel agent. The biggest surprise has been the relentless schedule.
“You start with so much energy. Then summer hits and there are so many weeks in a row.”
Learning to rest has been a challenge, but essential.
“I’ve learned you need to get your energy back. And I actually prefer four rounds — it’s proper competition and good prep for the LPGA.”
The Woman Behind the Clubs: Family, Pickleball, and Future Dreams
When she’s home in Spain, Rhodes plays pickleball and dreams of surfing — though admits she’s “quite clumsy.” Family remains central to her life.
Her younger sister, now ranked 15th in the world amateur rankings, competed in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. “She’s one-upped me,” Rhodes jokes.
Her grandmother first introduced her to golf — a single-figure handicapper who played for England and served as Lady Captain at Burnham & Berrow.
“She used to pick us up from school to play golf. That made all the difference.”
Rhodes studied communication at college and jokes she may end up in broadcasting one day. “I just don’t know if I can smile for that long.”
Role Models: From Sorenstam to Rose
Rhodes names Annika Sorenstam and Catriona Matthew as early inspirations, but speaks warmly of Justin Rose.
“He’s helped women’s golf so much. He’s always sending messages. I can’t believe I’m typing back to Justin Rose.”
The Rose Ladies Series played a crucial role in her development, offering opportunity, belief, and a pathway at a critical time.
Looking Ahead: LPGA Dreams and Order of Merit Ambitions
With her LPGA card secured for 2026, Rhodes values her LET grounding.
“Going straight onto the LPGA can be a shock. This felt like the right progression.”
She wants a settled team, a full-time caddy, and fewer moving parts.
“I don’t like switching. I want everyone in one place.”
Early LPGA schedules mean she’ll likely play LET events to stay sharp. “I don’t want three months off. I want to stay competitive.”
The Roller Coaster Continues
Mimi Rhodes’ rookie season has delivered wins, doubt, belief, and belonging. She’s learned to trust her game, embrace pressure, and understand that everything can change in a week.
Three wins. An LPGA card. A grandmother who would be proud. A sister following close behind.
The next chapter is just beginning — and if her first year has taught us anything, it’s to expect the unexpected.
