LPGA Veteran Amy Olson Announces Retirement After Nearly $3 Million in Career Earnings

Amy Olson, a professional golfer who has been on the LPGA Tour since 2014, announced her retirement on Wednesday after earning nearly $3 million in her career. The 31-year-old from Oxbow, North Dakota, made the announcement on social media, expressing appreciation for the people who supported her throughout her golfing journey.

Olson turned professional in 2013 after a record-setting collegiate career at North Dakota State University, where she won an NCAA-record 20 titles and was named the Summit League Female Golfer of the Year for four consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2013. She made the cut in 123 of the 196 tournaments she played on the LPGA Tour over the past decade.

Despite her success, Olson did not win on the LPGA Tour, something she expressed was an unrealized dream along with not playing on the U.S. Solheim Cup team. She had 13 career top-10 finishes, including second-place finishes at the 2021 Kia Classic, the 2018 Evian Championship, and a tie for second at the emotionally charged 2020 U.S. Women's Open, where her father-in-law passed away the night before the final round.

Olson's last competitive appearance was at the 2023 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach, where she played while seven months pregnant. She missed the cut in that event and had been on maternity leave since giving birth to her daughter, Carly Gray Olson, on September 15, 2023.

Why this matters: Olson's retirement marks the end of a historic run for golf in the Fargo-Moorhead and Red River Valley region, as she was the greatest female player from the area since Beverly Hanson in the 1950s. Her success on the LPGA Tour inspired a new generation of young golfers in North Dakota and beyond.

In announcing her retirement, Olson stated, "I'm realizing I have different dreams and bigger dreams, rather than clinging to the same ones that motivated me for a number of years." She cited her marriage to North Dakota State assistant football coach Grant Olson and the birth of their daughter as factors in her decision to step away from professional golf. While Olson plans to play in a qualifier for the 2023 U.S. Women's Open, she said her days pursuing professional golf as a full-time career are now done as she turns the page to the next chapter of her life.

Key Takeaways

• Amy Olson, a pro golfer since 2014, announced her retirement at age 31.
• Olson earned nearly $3 million in her career but never won on the LPGA Tour.
• Olson had a record-setting collegiate career at North Dakota State University.
• Olson cited marriage, motherhood, and new dreams as reasons for her retirement.
• Olson's success inspired a new generation of golfers in North Dakota and beyond.