Nanna Koerstz Madsen was born on October 23, 1994 in Smorum, Denmark. She had a very successful amateur career earning her first win at a 14-year-old at the Danish Junior Masters. She repeated as champion the following year. Madsen won her third and fourth amateur titles at the 2012 DGU Eilte Tour Damer II, and the Danish Women’s Match Play Championship. She added two more amateur titles in 2013 by winning the Danish Women’s Stroke Play Championship with rounds of 69 and 72, and won the European Club Trophy.
Madsen attended the University of South Carolina and played for the Gamecocks women’s golf team in the fall of 2014, winning the Mercedes-Benz Intercollegiate. She also won three more amateur titles that year at the European Nations Cup, Elite Tour Damer II, and Danish International Championship. At the end of the season, Madsen was top ranked European amateur player and decided to turn pro after only one semester at South Carolina.
By winning the Lalla Aicha Tour Final Qualifying, Madsen earned her Ladies European Tour (LET) card for the 2015 season. She put forth a solid effort as a rookie, finishing 9th on the Order of Merit. Madsen competed at the 2015 Women’s British Open, finishing tied for 21st. The following season, Madsen earned her first professional win after shooting 15-under par over 54 holes at the Tipsport Gold Masters, defeating Pamela Pretswell and Stacey Keating by five shots. Madsen’s overall effort for the season placed her 6th on the Order of Merit. Madsen also represented Denmark at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, finishing tied for 13th. In major championships, she finished tied for 37th at the Women’s British Open and missed the cut at The Evian Championship.
Madsen played the entire 2017 season on the Symetra Tour, having a great deal of success. She earned a win at the Symetra Classic by two shots over Mariah Stackhouse and Daniela Darquea with a total score of 12-under par. A little over a month later, Madsen was back in the winner’s circle after a final round of 66 earned her a one-shot victory at the Fuccillo Kia Championship. Madsen won a third time for the season by dominating the field at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic with a seven-shot win with a score of 22-under par. In her only major appearance of the season, Madsen missed the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Madsen’s efforts earned her status on the LPGA Tour for the 2018 season. She struggled much of the season and missed the cut in all four majors in which she appeared. Madsen played better in 2019, making the cut in three majors with a tie for 16th at the U.S. Women’s Open, and finished second at the Indy Women in Tech Championship.
During the covid-19 shortened 2020 season, Madsen made the cut in two of her four major appearances, including a tie for 13th at the Women’s PGA Championship. Madsen really came into her own last season, finishing tied for 5th at the Women’s British Open and a tie for 3rd at the ANA Inspiration. She also had a top 15 finish at the Women’s PGA Championship and 9th at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Madsen earned her first LPGA Tour victory at the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand. She battled Xiyu Lin from China, going into a playoff after 26-under par over 72 holes. The two players tied the opening playoff hole before Madsen sunk a 10-foot putt for eagle. The win was the first by a native of Denmark in the history of the LPGA Tour. With the victory, Madsen jumped in the World Golf Ranking from 55th to 33rd.
Perhaps a late bloomer with her first win at the age of 27, but Madsen is likely a name for the ladies on the LPGA Tour to contend with for years to come!
