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Austin Ernst, a 28-year old 7-year veteran on the LPGA Tour, was born in Greenville, South Carolina. Ernst began golfing at an early age, and made her mark in two seasons at Louisiana State University. In 2011, she was the NCAA Individual Champion, Second Team All-SEC and NGCA First-Team All-American. In addition, Ernst was a semifinalist at the 2011 US Women’s Amateur.

During her sophomore season, Ernst was named by Golfweek to the Second Team All-American and was a member of the Curtis Cup Team. Her second win as an amateur came at the 2012 North and South Women’s Amateur tournament. Ernst earned full status on the LPGA Tour for the 2013 season after a very solid 14th place finish at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament.

2014

Ernst had a solid rookie campaign, earning $142,002 on 13 cuts made, including 2 top-10 finishes. Her best finish was a tie for sixth at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic. The highlight of her season was a career-low round of 62 at the Safeway Classic Presented by Coca-Cola.

2015

During her second year as a professional, Ernst stepped up her game, making 19 cuts in 26 events, including her first win at the Portland Classic Presented by Cambia Health Solutions. She defeated I.K. Kim on the first hole of sudden-death playoff. The following season, Ernst had 4 top-10 finishes, including a tie for second. In 23 cuts made, she earned $439,089, good for 41st on the money list.

2016

Ernst recorded another second-place finish in 2016, this time at the CitiBanamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational. In addition, she had three more top-10 finishes contributing to her $385,513 in earnings and 51st on the money list.

2017

The 2017 season saw Ernst make her first Solheim Cup team, earning two points in four matches. She also finished in the top ten four times and surpassed $2 million in career earnings after a 21st place finish at the CME Group Tour Championship. Her nearly $550,000 in season earnings was a career high.

2018

Continuing her career ascension, Ernst had second place finishes at the Evian Championship and Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She posted 32 rounds in the 60s and ranked fifth in greens in regulation. Her $858,494 cracked the top 20 in earnings for the season.

From a quiet 2019, Austin turned it on in 2020

After a quiet 2019 season in which she finished 72nd on the money list in 22 events, Ernst missed 2 cuts in her first 6 events in 2020. She found her game at the Women’s British Open, finishing fifth then turned it on in a major way at this weekend’s 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. Her rounds of 65, 65, and 63 were enough to cement her second professional victory. Ernst is 58th in the Rolex World Rankings and third this season for CME Race to the Globe. At $3.7 million in career earnings, Ernst is closing in on the $4 million career milestone