| Rachel Heck | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_01.png) Heck in 2017 | |||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | (2001-10-22)October 22, 2001 (age 24) Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||||||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||||
| College | Stanford University | ||||||||||||
| Status | Amateur | ||||||||||||
| Best results in LPGA major championships | |||||||||||||
| Chevron Championship | CUT: 2019 | ||||||||||||
| Women's PGA C'ship | DNP | ||||||||||||
| U.S. Women's Open | T33: 2017 | ||||||||||||
| Women's British Open | DNP | ||||||||||||
| Evian Championship | T44: 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Rachel Heck (born October 22, 2001) is an American amateur golfer.
Heck, a native ofMemphis, Tennessee started playing golf with her two sisters almost as soon as she could walk, competing in friendly competitions for ice cream. Her older sister, Abby, played collegiate golf atUniversity of Notre Dame and younger sister, Anna, who is committed to play golf at the University of Notre Dame, competed in the 2021U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball.[1]
A golf prodigy, Heck was a five-time AJGA All-American. She was the youngest competitor in the2017 U.S. Women's Open, tied for 33rd. She also made the cut at the2018 Evian Championship, tied for 44th. She was a member of the 2018 U.S.Junior Ryder Cup team, sinking the putt that clinched the title for the U.S. She was named USA Today's High School Golfer of the Year in 2017 and 2018.[1]
Heck was a member of the 2019 U.S.Junior Solheim Cup team, going 2–1 over three rounds of match play. She also competed in theU.S. Women's Amateur and finished T8 in the Girl's Junior PGA Championship. She also earned one of four amateur spots at the2019 ANA Inspiration. Along with later fellow Stanford Cardinal Sadie Englemann, she advanced to the semifinals of the 2019U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball.
In 2020, Heck was the stroke-play medalist in theU.S. Women's Amateur, shooting 4-under-par across two rounds. She advanced to the round of 16 before falling, 1 down, to eventual championRose Zhang. She was also a quarterfinalist in the 2020North and South Women's Amateur.[2]
Heck enrolled atStanford University in 2021 to play golf with theStanford Cardinal women's golf team. In her freshman year, she recorded six individual collegiate wins.[3] She became the third player in college history to sweep conference (Pac-12), regional (Stanford Regional) and national titles (NCAAs), joining USC'sAnnie Park and Arizona'sMarisa Baena. Heck became the first Stanford woman to win an NCAA title, and the ninth freshman to achieve the feat. Her 69.72 scoring average over 25 rounds was, at the time, the lowest in NCAA women's golf history.[2]
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Heck claimed medalist honors in the qualifier for the2021 U.S. Women's Open in Novato, California, with a 36-hole total of 8-under 136. She finished 3rd at theAugusta National Women's Amateur and wonThe Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship with Team USA. Heck was the 2021Honda Sports Award recipient and the Annika Award recipient for being the top collegiate golfer.[2]
A bout ofmononucleosis kept Heck out for part of her sophomore season;[4] however, she would still win twice, signNike Golf's first everNIL deal[5] and help Stanford to the NCAA team championship. She would also win her secondCurtis Cup. At the beginning of Heck's junior season, she began experiencing severe pain in her arm and shoulder and was diagnosed withthoracic outlet syndrome; the resulting physical therapy and surgery, which involved losing one of her ribs, caused her to miss most of the season.[4] In her first significant tournament post-surgery, the 2023U.S. Women's Amateur, Heck would advance to the semi-finals, but lost to Latanna Stone.[6]
In her senior season, Heck made the decision to remain an amateur once her college career finished instead of pursuing a professional golf career.[7] She would win the NCAA Cle Elum regional by four strokes, then help Stanford to another NCAA team championship, defeatingUCLA's Kate Villegas by a score of 4 and 3 to win the deciding match.[8] After her graduation from Stanford, Heck now works forKohlberg Kravis Roberts, while also serving as aSecond lieutenant in theAir Force Reserve Command.[5]
In October, 2026, Heck became the first recipient of the Annika Inspiration Award, presented by Cleveland Brothers in partnership with the Annika Foundation.[9]
Source:[11]
Results not in chronological order before 2019 or in 2020.
| Tournament | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevron Championship | CUT | |||||
| U.S. Women's Open | T33 | T35 | ||||
| Women's PGA Championship | ||||||
| The Evian Championship | T44 | NT | T60 | |||
| Women's British Open |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
NT = no tournament
T = tied
Amateur
Source:[11]