Johnson was born in Bristol, South West England, United Kingdom. Her father and her three brothers were all golfers, one of them was a professional golfer. She practiced other sports, including badminton, soccer and tennis, but took up golf at age nine influenced by her family, playing at Royal North Devon Golf Club, a links course and the oldest golf club in England. She preferred to learn by herself rather than taking golf lessons.[1][2]
Johnson turned professional in March 1987. She won three tournaments in her first year as a professional and was Rookie of Year on the Ladies European Tour in 1987. She won four tournaments in 1990 and won the 1990 Order of Merit. Overall, she has won 19 tournaments on the Ladies European Tour and has finished in the top ten of the Order of Merit on thirteen occasions, including second places in 2000 and 2004 when she won the 2004 Wales "Golf as it should be" Ladies Open.[6]
Her latest regular victory came at the age of 48 years, 7 months, and 15 days at the 2014 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open, making her the oldest ever winner on the Ladies European Tour[7] and tied third on the all-time-list of most wins on the tour.[8]
At the 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open at Waverley Country Club in Portland, Oregon, which had an age limit of 50, Johnson, at 57 years of age, was tied at fourth, five strokes from leader Catriona Matthew after two rounds. She advanced to the lead after a third round 5-under-par 67 and finished winner, one stroke ahead of Leta Lindley after the final round. Johnson received a winner's check of $180,000, twice as much as the highest prize on any regular win in her career.[2]
Johnson became the player with most victories in senior women's majors championships and one of three players who, during their careers, have won both of the two senior majors. The other two players are Laura Davies and Helen Alfredsson.
Awards, honors
In 2010, Johnson earned Life Time Membership of the Ladies European Tour, reaching the criteria for the honor after the tour decided to retrospectively award points for her 2008 win of the European Nations Cup.[11]
In September 2024, the England Golf Federation announced that Johnson was selected to be inducted in to the England Golf Hall of Fame.[12]
Amateur wins
1984 England Under-21 Championship, England Under-23 Championship
^ Nation team event, with two rounds of better-ball and two rounds of a greensome variation, sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, counted as a tour win but with unofficial prize money and not counted in the Order of Merit.
^"Resultat" [Results]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 8. August 1987. p. 90. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
^"Facit -87, Europa-touren, damer, WPGA" [Season 1987, European Tour, Ladies, WPGA]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 12. December 1987. p. 67. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
^"Tävling, WPGA, Hennessy Ladies' Cup" [Competition, WPGA, Hennessy Ladies' Cup]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 6. June 1990. p. 112. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
^Franzén, Eric (12 September 2010). "Johnson tog tredje segern i Open de France" [Johnson took her third win in Open de France]. svenskgolf.se (in Swedish). Svensk Golf. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
^"Tour Information Centre". ocs-let.com. Ladies European Tour Information Centre. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
^"Bäst i världen". Svensk Golf (in Swedish). December 1992. pp. 62, 63.