Karen Stupples: Reflections from Sunningdale

Words by Jack Martin

It’s 20 years since you won the Women's British Open. What do you remember most about that glorious week at Sunningdale? 

I remember hitting the ball very well and narrowly missing winning the week before at Evian and how disappointed I was. I got to the Open and thought, ‘I could do really well here.’ My coach had a premonition that I would play well there. But earlier in the year I wasn’t sure about the course. I ended up with a really good plan for the course and executed it so well.

When you consider so few British players have won what is now the AIG Women's Open, you must feel privileged to have that on your CV.

It still feels surreal to me. Just hearing you say it gives me goosebumps. I’m proud for my family. They believed in me when others didn’t. It was almost a thank you to them. It was the one professional women’s tournament that I was exposed to and the one I wanted to win.

Is it true that two customers in a restaurant you worked in helped you to turn professional?

Yes. My family didn’t have much. Mum and Dad worked incredibly hard for everything they had. Dad always said, ‘You won’t get anywhere without working.’ I always had to work. I had a paper round when I was 13. That installed a big work ethic in me. Before I turned pro, I was working in a golf club just outside of Folkestone, waiting tables. I was trying to save money. One night, one of my regular customers called Keith Rawlings and his wife Sue came in and asked, ‘Why haven’t you turned pro yet?’ I explained why and he said, ‘We’d like to sponsor you.’ The rest is history. I wrote them a budget for flights, hotel and food. They sponsored me for three years. It changed my life.

How has the AIG Women's Open changed over the last two decades?

It’s changed quite a bit. Look at the money, first of all. When I won, I thought I’d won the lottery but it’s nowhere near what it is now. It’s life changing. The crowds are so much bigger too and it has a much bigger stage. They played at St Andrew’s this year which is just amazing. It makes a big difference for the women’s game.

Do you have any regrets looking back at your career?

No. You look back and see tournaments which you let slip away but everyone can say the same thing. I feel content with what I did. I played on the best women’s golf tour for 15 years and went toe to toe with players like Annika Sorenstam. I also won the Open. That’s very cool.

You had a battle with Graves Disease last year. How did that come about? 

It was around December 2022. I had surgery to remove my gall bladder. I was working a lot. I think I came back too quickly. I started to notice my heart rate go up. Suddenly my legs were shaky and swollen. I knew something wasn’t right. My partner Jerry was worried and told me to head for the hospital. They did tests and revealed my thyroid levels were very high. I couldn’t lift a frying pan. I was insanely weak. It was scary. Graves disease is where you produce antibodies which attack the thyroid gland and muscles. My thyroid would end up coming out through surgery. Everything’s been fine since, thank god, but it was a long road.

How was your mood affected?

I was pretty depressed. I think I live my life better now because of it. I masked my mood pretty well. I always put on a brave face for my son Logan and partner Jerry. Deep down inside it was very doom and gloom. I didn’t realise how down I was until the thyroid came out.

Is it true you sought help from Pat Bradley who went through something similar?

Yes. I’ve got her phone number. I read she went through Graves’ disease. I really needed to talk to someone who went through it as it’s quite rare. I wanted to know there was light at the end of the tunnel. At one point, I didn’t think I would get though the constant blood tests and medication. To talk to Pat was so inspirational to me. She told me how she got through it and back to the peak of her game. It helped me so much.

You’ve been working with the Golf Channel for a decade. Was the media side always something you wanted to get into?

Yes and no. When you’re a professional, you don’t think about the afterwards. In 2013, my son was missing me not being at home and I started burning through savings. Luckily, six years before, I worked for the BBC at Carnoustie and had a fabulous time. You get to talk about golf with other media people. Just before I retired, I sought out a producer at the Golf Channel to tag along and see how it works. Then one day, a producer told me we need another reporter on the course and I snapped up the chance. I’ve been working with them ever since.

Meet Jack Martin

Jack is a freelance sports journalist who specialises in golf. He also writes for The Irish Post, The Times, Golf Australia and Today’s Golfer. 

You can find him on X (formerly Twitter).