Melissa Rose Reid, born September 19,1987, is an English professional golfer who plays on the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Reid was born in Derby, England. As an amateur she won several events including the 2004 and 2005 English Girls’ Championship, the 2006 and 2007 Helen Holm Trophy, the 2007 St Rule Trophy, and the 2007 British Amateur Strokeplay Championship. She played on the Great Britain and Ireland team in the 2006 Curtis Cup.
Reid was the low amateur at the 2007 Women’s British Open with a T16 finish. She failed to earn her card at the 2007 LET Qualifying School in Italy but turned professional in late 2007 and began playing on the Ladies European Tour in 2008 on sponsor invitations. A third place finish at the Australian Open in early February allowed her to stay in the top 20 on the money list and gain entrance into LET events for the rest of the season. She placed 12th on the money list in 2008 and was named LET Rookie of the Year.
Reid’s first LET victory came in 2010 at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open. She followed that up with two wins in 2011 and was a member of the 2011 Solheim Cup team, securing a spot on the European team as the leader in the LET rankings.
Melissa earned seven top 10 finishes in her first full season as a professional. She was second three times, at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open in Holland, the Oxfordshire Ladies English Open and at the Nykredit Masters in Denmark. She said that she rated her experience in Denmark as the highlight, when she played alongside her childhood heroine Annika Sorenstam and eventual winner Martina Eberl in the final round. Melissa finished four shots ahead of Annika at the event.
Melissa did not have a full card at the beginning of the season but was offered an invitation to play at the MFS Women’s Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club, where she finished in 3rd place. Her result catapulted her into the top 20 places on the New Star Money List, where she remained all year, which allowed her to gain entries into all of the other 2008 events. Her other top 10 finishes were T10th at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open, T5th at the Tenerife Ladies Open and T7th at the Dubai Ladies Masters. She finished the 2008 season in 12th place on the New Star Money List with earnings of $136,606.02. In Dubai, she was crowned 2008 Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year, in association with the Bill Johnson Trophy and presented with the award by Annika Sorenstam.
