Amateur career

Nicholas was born in Gibraltar. She was educated at the School of St Mary and St Anne (now Abbots Bromley School for Girls). She enjoyed a very successful amateur career in England. She started playing golf at the age of 17 and won the 1982 and 1983 Northern Girls Amateur Open. Nicholas was the 1983 British Amateur Stroke Play champion. In 1983, Nicholas won the Yorkshire Ladies County Championship.

Professional career

Nicholas turned professional in 1984 and joined the Ladies European Tour in the same year. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1989.

Nicholas won the British Women's Open in 1987, when it was recognised as a major championship by the Ladies European Tour only, and the 1997 U.S. Women's Open.

At her retirement at the end of the 2004 season, Nicholas had won 12 events on the Ladies European Tour. She topped the European Tour Order of Merit in 1997 and finished in the top-ten fifteen times in 16 seasons between 1985 and 2000. She also won four times on the LPGA Tour, between 1995 and 1999, including winning the U.S. Women's Open in 1997. In 1992, she won both the Western Australian Open and the Malaysian Open.

She won the 1991 Vivien Saunders Trophy for lowest stroke average (71.71). In 1997, she became the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year, was awarded The Association of Golf Writers Trophy and was voted LET Players' Player of the Year, 1997 Evening Mail Sports Personality of the Year and 1997 Midlands Sports Personality of the Year.

In 1998, she was named a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for "services to women's golf", and in 2002 became a Life Member of the Ladies European Tour.

Nicholas was a member of the European Solheim Cup team in 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2000 forming a formidable partnership with Laura Davies. She was Vice Captain in 2003. In 2007, Nicholas was the captain for the 2009 and 2011 European Solheim Cup teams.

Professional wins (18)

LPGA Tour wins (4)

Legend

LPGA Tour major championships (1)

Other LPGA Tour (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	28 May 1995	LPGA Corning Classic	−13 (70-67-66-72=275)	3 strokes	Barb Mucha
2	10 Sep 1995	Ping-AT&T Wireless Services LPGA Golf Championship	−9 (66-73-68=207)	3 strokes	Kelly Robbins
3	13 Jul 1997	U.S. Women's Open	−10 (70-66-67-71=274)	1 stroke	Nancy Lopez
4	20 Feb 1999	Sunrise Hawaiian Ladies Open	−7 (70-66-73=209)	1 stroke	Annette DeLuca Moira Dunn

LPGA Tour playoff record (0-1)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1	1993	LPGA Corning Classic	Kelly Robbins	Lost to par on first extra hole

Ladies European Tour wins (12)

• 1987 (2) Weetabix Women's British Open, Laing Charity Classic
• 1988 (3) British Olivetti Tournament, Variety Club Charity Classic, James Capel Guernsey Open
• 1989 (3) Lufthansa Ladies' German Open, Gislaved Open, Qualitair Classic
• 1990 (1) Variety Club Charity Classic
• 1992 (1) AGF Open de Paris
• 1995 (1) Payne & Gunter Scottish Open
• 1996 (1) Guardian Irish Open

Other wins (2)

• 1992 Western Australian Open, Malaysian Open

Major championships

Wins (1)

Year	Championship	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1997	U.S. Women's Open	−10 (70-66-67-71=274)	1 stroke	Nancy Lopez

Team appearances

Professional

• Solheim Cup (representing Europe): 1990, 1992 (winners), 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 (winners)
• Handa Cup (representing World team): 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (tie), 2013 (winners), 2014

Solheim Cup record

Year	Total matches	Total W-L-H	Singles W-L-H	Foursomes W-L-H	Fourballs W-L-H	Points won	Points %
Career	18	7-8-3	1-3-2	4-3-0	2-2-1	8.5	47.22%
1990	3	1-2-0	0-1-0 lost to N. Lopez 6&4	1-0-0 won w/L. Davies 2&1	0-1-0 lost w/L. Davies 4&3	1	33.3%
1992	3	2-1-0	0-1-0 lost to J. Inkster 3&2	1-0-0 won w/L. Davies 1up	1-0-0 won w/L. Davies 1up	2	66.7%
1994	3	2-1-0	1-0-0 def P. Sheehan 3&2	1-0-0 won w/L.Davies 2&1	0-1-0 lost w/L.Davies 2&1	2	66.7%
1996	3	0-1-2	0-0-1 halved w/ K. Robbins	0-1-0 lost w/L. Davies 1dn	0-0-1 halved w/H. Alfredsson	1	33.3%
1998	2	0-2-0	0-1-0 lost to T. Green 1dn	0-1-0 lost w/H. Alfredsson 3&1		0	0%
2000	4	2-1-1	0-0-1 halved w/S. Steinhauer	1-1-0 won w/L. Davies 4&3, lost w/L.Davies 6&5	1-0-0 won w/H. Alfredsson 3&2	2.5	62.5%

[ Source: Wikipedia ]