The sky’s the restrict for Amelia Garvey.
The 25-year-old golfer from Christchurch is getting into 2026 on the again of a unbelievable debut 12 months on the Women European Tour (LET). However regardless of being on the opposite aspect of the world for a lot of 2025, there was part of England that was very a lot a house away from house.
Garvey’s household are initially from Manchester within the northwest of England, and he or she was capable of keep away from the lodge hopping that makes up a lot of life on the skilled tour by staying along with her aunt and uncle in that metropolis, in-between occasions. The association undoubtedly helped her, as she completed thirteenth on the tour’s order of benefit after shifting over from the second tier Epson Tour in the US.
“Final 12 months on LET was unreal and I had that breakthrough season that I wanted. The consistency final 12 months was what I used to be most happy with” says Garvey, who was ranked 179 on the earth on the finish of 2025, having risen virtually 400 locations within the calendar 12 months.
She’s come a great distance from the plastic set of golf golf equipment she was given as a six-year outdated following the household’s transfer to New Zealand. Supported by Mum Beverley and Dad Lee, Garvey, the youngest of three sisters, noticed her father play socially, and he or she was off, studying the sport on the Kaiapoi Golf Membership. Earlier than lengthy, her expertise was apparent.
“I performed in my first ever New Zealand Open [at the age of 13] and I keep in mind being blown away by the set-up. With it being right here in Christchurch. I had a following of household and pals and I keep in mind considering I may by no means do that as my job, and now it’s,” Garvey says.
“I take into consideration that second quite a bit. Once I’m not having fun with it a lot and the highway is getting lonely or I’m having a tough time, I take into consideration the little woman that dreamt of being the place I’m right now and getting to do that week to week.”
Garvey’s faculty profession was on the College of Southern California (USC). After taking a look at just a few choices, USC was the final one she toured and he or she was blown away by the assets that it had.
“Going over to the States after being an enormous fish in a bit of pond was undoubtedly the following step that I wanted to take, throwing myself within the deep finish a bit of bit and realising simply what number of ladies there are on the market attempting to chase the identical dream that I did,” she says.
“Additionally, simply being surrounded by gamers that needed to get to the following stage was totally different to New Zealand, and to observe with them and be taught from them and the coaches was a very superb alternative.”
Her time at USC was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and he or she returned to New Zealand for eight months, finding out on-line. However then got here an sudden alternative because the then 20-year-old bought a call-up in December 2020, to play the delayed US Open in Texas as an beginner. She narrowly missed the minimize in Houston, however lower than six months later she returned to the 2021 version as an expert, only a week after graduating from USC.
2022 noticed Garvey be part of the Epson Tour in the US, which is the official improvement car for the LPGA Tour, the house of the game’s elite gamers.
“It was powerful. You’re taking part in on that tour to attempt to get on the LPGA. It’s a very good pathway, however sadly you’re not taking part in for that a lot cash. I did three years on there and I bought shut to creating the LPGA tour,” she says.
“In my second 12 months I ended up within the closing stage of qualifying and missed my card by two photographs over six rounds which was a tough blow to take. The powerful factor about golf is if you happen to don’t make it one 12 months, there’s no promotions or relegations, so you need to wait one other 12 months to go at it once more.”
“I loved Epson, however by the top of it I used to be operating out of cash and wanted to determine a solution to play one other 12 months. LET sees you play for lots more cash than the Epson Tour and also you’ve bought extra alternatives to play in large occasions.”
Garvey arrived again in New Zealand in mid-November and earlier than Christmas she bought the prospect to spend a while with Dame Lydia Ko, who was capable of speak about her personal profession and experiences.
“Certainly one of my large objectives is to play within the Olympics. It was actually cool to spend time along with her and work out going ahead, how can I attempt to get there along with her in LA in 2028, or Brisbane in 2032,” Garvey says.
“As an athlete you develop up watching the Olympics and that’s at all times been considered one of my objectives. Realising that it may really occur is an enormous motivating issue for me. Attending to play in your nation below the flag implies that you’re representing individuals and galvanizing others the youthful technology coming by as effectively. It’s an enormous factor,”
Garvey is again in LET motion subsequent month, with the season kicking off in Saudi Arabia, earlier than 4 tournaments in Australia in March. Regardless of it being the ‘European’ Tour, the primary match in Europe isn’t till the German Masters in Might. From there she’ll have alternatives in France and Belgium amongst others, earlier than the Scottish Open after which the British Open in late July, which can be held at Royal Lytham & St Annes In Lancashire. It’s a course of big significance for Kiwi golfers, with Sir Bob Charles, who Garvey performed with simply final weekend, profitable his British Open there in 1963.
Garvey can have alternatives to qualify for the opposite main championships this 12 months, however she has one other objective firmly in thoughts.
“I haven’t gained professionally but and I need to be taught to do this earlier than I get to the LPGA tour,” she says.
Ending within the high 10 on this 12 months’s LET would see her progress to closing qualifying for subsequent 12 months’s LPGA Tour and that’s the large purpose, as it will see her be part of the likes of Ko and different superstars comparable to Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and the USA’s Nelly Korda. Coming from New Zealand, Garvey realises the importance of such an achievement.
“There’s extra ladies than ever taking part in golf proper now in New Zealand. We’ve modified the story of it being an older particular person’s sport and there [are fewer] limitations. It’s about proving that regardless that you’re from a small nation, you can also make it and there’s a profession on the market.”
