Stacy Lewis’s journey to becoming one of the game’s most accomplished players began with a challenge few young athletes face. Diagnosed with scoliosis at age 11, she wore a back brace for more than seven years, including throughout high school, in hopes of avoiding surgery. When the curvature of her spine continued to progress, Lewis underwent major spinal surgery during her senior year of high school, requiring a rod and five screws to stabilize her back. The operation temporarily put golf aside and made her future in the game uncertain. Through months of rehabilitation and determination, she regained her strength and arrived at the University of Arkansas ready to pursue collegiate golf. What could have ended her competitive career instead became an early defining chapter in a life marked by perseverance, resilience and an extraordinary determination to succeed.

Stacy Lewis has long spoken through her actions about how much representing the United States means to her. Her Solheim Cup career spans four appearances as a player, followed by leadership roles as an assistant captain and ultimately as captain. She represented Team USA in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, helping the Americans capture the Cup in 2015 and 2017. Even when a back injury forced her to withdraw as a player in 2019, Lewis remained with the team as an unofficial assistant captain. She returned as an official assistant in 2021 before being selected to captain the United States in both 2023 and 2024. That progression from player to leader reflects her deep commitment to team competition and the pride she takes in representing her country.

In September 2017, Stacy Lewis captured an emotional victory at the Cambia Portland Classic, ending a three-year winless streak on the LPGA Tour. Before the tournament, Lewis pledged to donate her entire winner’s check to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in her hometown of Houston. True to her word, she contributed her $195,000 first-place prize to help families and communities devastated by the storm. Her sponsor, KPMG, matched the donation, bringing the total contribution to $390,000. The victory was a powerful demonstration of Lewis’s compassion, generosity, and commitment to giving back to the community she calls home.

As a kid battling scoliosis, Stacy Lewis wore a back brace for many years, carefully concealing it beneath her clothing so others would not notice. The brace became a constant part of her daily life, both physically and emotionally. To this day, she avoids using Velcro whenever possible, as its distinctive sound brings back memories of the brace she wore for so many years.

In 2007, while still an amateur at the University of Arkansas, Stacy Lewis captured the LPGA’s NW Arkansas Championship in a rain-shortened, 18-hole event. Competing against the world’s best professionals, Lewis delivered a remarkable performance on her home course. Although the victory was unofficial due to the shortened tournament, it offered an early glimpse of the champion she would become.