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Rachel Heck
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Rachel Heck (born October 22, 2001) is an American amateur golfer.
Key Information
Early life and amateur career
[edit]Heck, a native of Memphis, 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 at University of Notre Dame and younger sister, Anna, who is committed to play golf at the University of Notre Dame, competed in the 2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball.[1]
A golf prodigy, Heck was a five-time AJGA All-American. She was the youngest competitor in the 2017 U.S. Women's Open, tied for 33rd. She also made the cut at the 2018 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 the U.S. Women's Amateur and finished T8 in the Girl's Junior PGA Championship. She also earned one of four amateur spots at the 2019 ANA Inspiration. Along with later fellow Stanford Cardinal Sadie Englemann, she advanced to the semifinals of the 2019 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball.
In 2020, Heck was the stroke-play medalist in the U.S. Women's Amateur, shooting 4-under-par across two rounds. She advanced to the round of 16 before falling, 1 down, to eventual champion Rose Zhang. She was also a quarterfinalist in the 2020 North and South Women's Amateur.[2]
Heck enrolled at Stanford University in 2021 to play golf with the Stanford 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's Annie Park and Arizona's Marisa 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]

Heck claimed medalist honors in the qualifier for the 2021 U.S. Women's Open in Novato, California, with a 36-hole total of 8-under 136. She finished 3rd at the Augusta National Women's Amateur and won The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship with Team USA. Heck was the 2021 Honda Sports Award recipient and the Annika Award recipient for being the top collegiate golfer.[2]
A bout of mononucleosis kept Heck out for part of her sophomore season;[4] however, she would still win twice, sign Nike Golf's first ever NIL deal[5] and help Stanford to the NCAA team championship. She would also win her second Curtis Cup. At the beginning of Heck's junior season, she began experiencing severe pain in her arm and shoulder and was diagnosed with thoracic 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 2023 U.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, defeating UCLA's Kate Villegas by a score of 4 and 3 to win the deciding match.[8] After her graduation from Stanford, Heck now works for Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, while also serving as a Second lieutenant in the Air 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]
Amateur wins
[edit]- 2016 Bubba Conlee Tournament
- 2017 Rolex Girls Junior Championship
- 2018 Polo Golf Junior Classic, Kathy Whitworth Invitational[10]
- 2021 The Gunrock Invitational, Fresno State Classic, Pac-12 Women's Championship, NCAA Stanford Regional, NCAA Championship
- 2022 Lamkin San Diego Invitational, The Gunrock Invitational
- 2024 NCAA DI Cle Elum Regional
Source:[11]
Results in LPGA majors
[edit]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
U.S. national team appearances
[edit]Amateur
- Junior Ryder Cup: 2018 (winners)
- Junior Solheim Cup: 2017 (winners), 2019 (winners)
- Curtis Cup: 2021 (winners), 2022 (winners)
- The Spirit International Amateur Golf Championship: 2021 (winners)
- Arnold Palmer Cup: 2022
- Espirito Santo Trophy: 2022
Source:[11]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Rachel Heck Biography". Augusta National Women's Amateur. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Player Bio: Rachel Heck". USGA. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ "Women's Golf Roster: Rachel Heck". Stanford Cardinals. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ a b Perez, Jordan. "Rachel Heck is still here, even if she's missing a piece of her". No Laying Up. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ a b Berhow, Josh (March 31, 2025). "Rachel Heck didn't need pro golf. She wanted something more". Golf Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ "2023 U.S. Women's Amateur". USGA. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ Heck, Rachel. "Rachel Heck: Why I'm Remaining An Amateur". No Laying Up.
- ^ "Match - NCAA Women's Championship - Match Play - 2024-05-17". GolfStat. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
- ^ "Heck Earns Annika Inspiration Award". Stanford Athletics. October 8, 2025.
- ^ "Past Champions". Kathy Whitworth Invitational.
- ^ a b "Rachel Heck". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Rachel Heck at the Women's World Golf Rankings official site
Rachel Heck
View on GrokipediaEarly life and junior career
Family background and introduction to golf
Rachel Heck was born on October 22, 2001, in Memphis, Tennessee.[12] She grew up in a family of three daughters, with parents Robert Heck, an orthopedic surgeon and former college football player at Rhodes College, and Stacy Heck, a former physical therapist.[3] Her older sister, Abby Heck, played collegiate golf at the University of Notre Dame and won two Tennessee state high school championships, while her younger sister, Anna Heck, earned a state title and competed in the 2021 U.S. Women's Amateur Four-Ball championship.[3] The Heck family's strong emphasis on golf fostered a supportive environment, with Robert often prioritizing time on the course with his daughters despite his demanding career.[10] Heck's introduction to golf came at a young age through these family outings, as her father sought ways to bond with Abby, Rachel, and Anna after work.[10] Robert would take the girls to local Memphis courses, where they played nine holes together, with ice cream as a reward for the first to finish, turning practice into an enjoyable family ritual that sparked their passion for the sport.[10] By age five, Heck entered her first competitive event—a casual three-hole tournament—where she outperformed older participants, demonstrating early talent and marking the beginning of her formal involvement in local play.[10] These initial experiences at Memphis-area venues like the Memphis National Golf Club laid the foundation for her development, blending recreational family time with budding competitive instincts.[13] As Heck progressed, her early training focused on building fundamentals under local coaches in Tennessee, with significant family encouragement reinforcing her growth.[12] At around age 12, she worked with instructor Rob Akins, who refined her short game skills, such as chipping from the practice green, helping her transition from casual play to more structured preparation.[12] The close-knit support from her parents and sisters provided emotional backing, allowing Heck to hone her technique at home courses while maintaining a balanced approach to the game's demands.[10] This phase emphasized consistency and enjoyment, setting the stage for her deeper engagement in junior competitions.Junior tournament wins and accolades
Heck emerged as a standout junior golfer, earning five-time Rolex Junior All-American honors from the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) between 2015 and 2019.[14] This recognition highlighted her consistent excellence in national competitions, where she secured three AJGA tournament victories and amassed 17 top-five finishes during her junior career from 2014 to 2019.[14] In 2017, she was named the AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year, underscoring her dominance among peers.[15] Among her notable wins, Heck claimed the 2016 Bubba Conlee National Junior Championship, marking her first major national junior title.[16] The following year, she captured the prestigious 2017 Rolex Girls Junior Championship, her first AJGA Invitational victory, by one stroke with a 10-under-par total of 278 over 72 holes.[15] At age 15, she qualified for the 2017 U.S. Women's Open, becoming the youngest player in the field, making the cut, and tying for 33rd place.[17] These triumphs, combined with strong runner-up finishes at events like the Thunderbird International Junior and the ANA Junior Inspiration, propelled her to top national rankings: No. 1 in the AJGA standings, No. 2 in the Junior Golf Scoreboard (Golfstat) rankings, and No. 3 in Golfweek's junior rankings by late 2017.[18] Heck also competed in elite junior events, qualifying for the 2017 U.S. Girls' Junior Championship after placing second in sectional qualifying.[19] Her early international exposure included representing Team USA in the 2017 PING Junior Solheim Cup, where she went undefeated at 3-0-0, contributing to the American victory, and the Wyndham Cup, posting a 2-0-2 record for the winning East team.[15] These performances solidified her status as one of the top junior prospects in the United States.College career at Stanford
Freshman and sophomore years
Heck enrolled at Stanford University in the fall of 2020 as part of the Air Force ROTC program, committing to a path that balanced her golf ambitions with military service obligations through a partnership with San Jose State University.[20][5] During her freshman year in the 2020–2021 season, Heck quickly emerged as a standout, securing six individual tournament victories in nine starts.[21] Her most notable achievement came at the 2021 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship, where she won the individual title with an 8-under-par score of 280, becoming the first Stanford woman to claim an NCAA individual crown and the ninth freshman to do so in tournament history.[22][23] She also set an NCAA record with a season scoring average of 69.72, earning her the ANNIKA Award as the top Division I women's golfer, WGCA Player of the Year honors, and first-team All-American recognition.[24][25] In her sophomore year during the 2021–2022 season, Heck faced challenges from mononucleosis, which caused her to miss several events, yet she still recorded two individual wins and played a pivotal role in Stanford's NCAA team championship victory in 2022.[10][26] Her contributions helped the Cardinal secure the national title, and she received second-team All-American honors for the second consecutive year.[1]Junior and senior years
During her junior year in the 2022-2023 season, Rachel Heck played a key role in Stanford's strong performance, helping the team advance to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship match play, where they fell to USC. Despite not securing an individual victory that year, her contributions supported the Cardinal's competitive edge in a season marked by health challenges, including thoracic outlet syndrome. Over her four years at Stanford, Heck amassed nine individual collegiate wins, tying for second-most in program history.[27][3] In her senior year (2023-2024), Heck returned to form with a standout performance, capturing the NCAA Division I Cle Elum Regional title by four strokes at 8-under par (208) over Tumble Creek Golf Club, marking her ninth and final collegiate victory. She followed this by delivering the clinching point in Stanford's 3-2 match-play victory over UCLA in the NCAA Championship final, securing the program's second team title in three years and her second overall. Throughout her later years, Heck emerged as a leader on the team, mentoring underclassmen and exemplifying resilience amid personal and athletic demands. In March 2024, she announced her decision to forgo a professional career on the LPGA Tour, opting instead to remain an amateur while pursuing a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force through ROTC, reflecting a shift toward service and finance interests after graduation.[28][4]Health issues and recovery
During her sophomore year at Stanford in the 2021-2022 season, Heck was diagnosed with mononucleosis, which caused significant fatigue and led to her missing several tournaments.[29] Despite the illness, she managed to compete in key events later in the season, contributing to Stanford's NCAA team championship.[10] In her junior year, Heck began experiencing severe pain in her arm and shoulder, ultimately diagnosed as thoracic outlet syndrome, a condition involving compression of nerves and blood vessels between the collarbone and first rib.[30] This led to surgery in March 2023, during which her first rib was removed to alleviate the nerve compression and restore function.[31] Following the procedure, Heck underwent an intensive rehabilitation process that included physical therapy to rebuild strength and mobility in her shoulder, along with adjusted training regimens to prevent re-injury.[26] By the start of her senior year in the 2023-2024 season, she had fully returned to competitive play without limitations, showcasing her resilience through strong performances, including clinching a key match in Stanford's NCAA team title win.[32]Post-collegiate pursuits
Military service
Following her graduation from Stanford University in June 2024 with a degree in political science, Rachel Heck was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.[10] Heck participated in the Air Force ROTC program throughout her four years at Stanford, beginning as a freshman, which prepared her for officer training and her subsequent commissioning.[7][33] After commissioning, she completed specialized training at the Defense Information School (DINFOS) in Fort Meade, Maryland, graduating first in her class on March 20, 2025, with a focus on public affairs, including military journalism and strategic communications.[7][8] Assigned to a public affairs officer role in the Air Force Reserve, Heck's duties involve one weekend of service per month at Los Angeles Air Force Base, where she handles communications and public engagement efforts.[33][10] As of November 2025, she has balanced these reserve obligations without any active duty deployments.[11]Professional career
Following her graduation from Stanford University in June 2024, Rachel Heck began her professional career in finance as an analyst at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), a global private equity firm, starting in July 2024 in the San Francisco office.[7] Her role focused on investment analysis, drawing on the analytical and leadership skills developed through her political science degree and experiences as a collegiate golfer and Air Force Reserve officer.[34] Heck's Air Force commissioning upon graduation facilitated her transition to civilian employment, allowing her to serve in a reserve capacity while pursuing full-time opportunities in private equity.[29] She balanced these commitments by taking periodic leaves, such as a 10-week military training program in early 2025, without disrupting her professional trajectory.[8] She worked at KKR until June 2025, after which she left to pursue additional opportunities in the Air Force.[33][11]Ongoing amateur competitions
Following her graduation from Stanford in 2024, Rachel Heck returned to competitive amateur golf while serving as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.[7] In her senior year, she had announced her decision to remain an amateur and forgo a professional career on the LPGA Tour in favor of military service.[35] This choice allowed her to prioritize personal fulfillment and inspiration over professional aspirations, emphasizing the joy of the game amid her service commitments.[4] Heck's 2025 schedule focused on select invitational amateur events, balanced against her demanding Air Force training and duties.[8] She entered the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April 2025 with minimal recent practice, having completed officer training shortly before the event.[7] Despite this, she demonstrated resilience by posting rounds of 75 and 73 to finish at 4-over par, just missing the cut but showcasing her enduring technical proficiency.[36] Later in the year, Heck competed in the 125th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in August 2025, marking her eighth appearance in the event.[37] Her stroke-play performance totaled 2-over par across 36 holes, including a 1-under second round that positioned her on the cusp of match play; she fell short of the playoff for the final spots by a single birdie.[38] These outings underscored her sustained competitive edge and commitment to amateur golf as a source of inspiration, later recognized by her selection as the inaugural recipient of the ANNIKA Inspiration Award, announced in October 2025 and presented on November 11, 2025.[11][39]Competitive achievements
Individual amateur wins
Rachel Heck's individual amateur victories span her junior career through her collegiate tenure at Stanford University, showcasing her rapid ascent in women's golf. Beginning as a standout junior, she secured four notable wins on prestigious circuits, demonstrating early dominance. Transitioning to college, Heck amassed nine individual titles over four seasons, including landmark achievements that cemented her as one of the most accomplished amateurs in NCAA history. Her success was underpinned by exceptional putting prowess, often making clutch putts under pressure, and sophisticated course management that allowed her to navigate challenging layouts efficiently.[40][41]Junior wins
Heck's junior career featured victories in high-profile American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events, highlighting her potential as a top prospect. In 2016, at age 14, she won the Bubba Conlee National Junior Tournament with a score of 172 over 36 holes, earning her first national junior title.[16][42] The following year, 2017, she claimed the Rolex Girls Junior Championship in Asheville, North Carolina, finishing at 10-under par (278) across 72 holes, one stroke ahead of the field.[19] In 2018, Heck triumphed at the Polo Golf Junior Classic in Mountainside, New Jersey, rallying from behind to win by two strokes with a final-round 68. Later that year, she captured the Kathy Whitworth Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas, solidifying her status as a four-time Rolex Junior All-American.[43][44][45]Collegiate wins
At Stanford, Heck's freshman season in 2021 was historic, as she won six individual events in nine starts, setting an NCAA record for scoring average at 69.72 over 25 rounds—the lowest in Division I history. This included sweeping the postseason with victories in the Pac-12 Championships, NCAA Stanford Regional, and NCAA Individual Championship, where she finished at 8-under par (280) to become the first Stanford woman to claim a national individual title and the ninth freshman to do so.[46][24][23] Her sophomore year in 2022 yielded two more wins: the Lamkin San Diego Invitational and a repeat at the Gunrock Invitational. After battling health challenges in her junior and senior years, Heck returned to form in 2024, winning the NCAA Cle Elum Regional by eight strokes at 8-under par—her ninth and final collegiate individual title, tying for the second-most in Stanford history. These victories underscored her resilience and ability to perform in high-stakes settings.| Year | Tournament | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Gunrock Invitational | 200 (-16) | Wire-to-wire win; tied program record low 54-hole score. |
| 2021 | Fresno State Classic | 200 (-16) | Tied career low; first of five consecutive wins. |
| 2021 | Pac-12 Championships | 206 (-7) | Postseason sweep began. |
| 2021 | U.S. Open Collegiate Invitational | 209 (-7) | Defeated field by three strokes. |
| 2021 | NCAA Stanford Regional | 202 (-11) | Advanced Stanford to nationals; low round 67. |
| 2021 | NCAA Championship | 280 (-8) | First Stanford individual NCAA title; one-stroke victory. |
| 2022 | Lamkin San Diego Invitational | 210 (-6) | Season-opening win. |
| 2022 | Gunrock Invitational | 204 (-12) | Repeat champion; five-stroke margin. |
| 2024 | NCAA Cle Elum Regional | 208 (-8) | First win in over two years; eight-stroke victory. |
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