Hira Naveed’s path to the LPGA Tour wasn’t straightforward, but she’s richer for the circuitous journey
Ask major champion and women’s world top-five player Hannah Green to describe the golf game of Hira Naveed – who Green grew up playing with and against – and the answer is, “a tough person to play matchplay against because she’s very competitive all the time.”
Sure enough, a conversation with the smart and thoughtful 27-year-old Naveed reveals there is certainly a calm, tranquil confidence and a competitive fire. It’s a combination she’s developed on her winding road to the LPGA Tour.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Perth, with a successful chapter at the prestigious Pepperdine University in California, Naveed’s journey has been about flying under the radar. But now that she’s on the LPGA Tour and taking it to stars like Nelly Korda at the 2024 Ford Championship, or a 6&4 win over Lydia Ko at the recent LPGA Match Play, her starpower is growing as the world’s best start to take notice.
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Nobody in my family plays golf. My parents immigrated from Pakistan in the 1990s to New Zealand. As soon as I was born in New Zealand, we moved to Australia and that’s where I picked up golf. I was a really athletic kid growing up. I used to enjoy playing all types of sports – footy, cricket, soccer, all of it. But I chose golf. I liked the individual aspect of golf.
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I started off at Royal Fremantle Golf Club. I took some lessons from the coach there and I worked with Ritchie Smith a little bit, and then ended up working with Gavin Fontaine, who is in Adelaide now and was my high school coach. I came through the Golf WA program and grew up with Hannah, Minjee and others.
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In Perth, and WA in general, I think we are just underdogs. You have a little extra fire in the belly and a chip on the shoulder. I think that’s why we produce a lot of good talent out of WA. We do well in the Interstate Series.
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I went to college in the US because I don’t think I was ready to turn pro right out of high school. I studied communications as my major. I don’t think I had the maturity at the time and, financially, my family couldn’t afford for me to turn pro. The best route really was to go through college and I’m glad I did. Moving across the world by myself to America and playing collegiate golf really helped me home in on my skills as a professional athlete and the competition was so difficult. It really does prepare you for the pro tours.
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Admittedly, when I was in college, I tried to quit after two years and just turn pro. But I’m glad my coach talked me out of it and said, “Hey, listen, you’re not ready.” I’m glad I did wait, because I won three times in my senior year and had a great season. That really prepped me for turning professional in 2019 after I graduated. College asks a lot of questions about how you handle yourself as an athlete with practice and workouts, and then as a student with having to study and do homework.
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I live in Washington DC in the north-east of the US – not a typical hub for tour pros. I used to live in New York City and I don’t see myself living in the south. I don’t see myself living in places like Florida or Texas. I’m a city girl. I like to be in the hustle and bustle of things, and I like to be able to walk to my coffee shop and meet a bunch of people from all parts of the world. That excites me as a human being. I just love being in big cities. That’s why I chose DC after New York.
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I grew up playing with Minjee and Hannah and competing alongside them. There were a lot of times when I came out on top against them, and that definitely gives me belief I can compete out here, like they have. It’s inspiring watching their careers. When you grow up with people like that who go on to achieve such great things, when you get to the LPGA yourself, it just gives you that extra little fire in the belly.
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I feel like I flew under the radar growing up in Perth compared with other star juniors. That fuelled me to keep going and to pave my own way. Unfortunately, sometimes in professional organisations there are things that happen that are unfortunate for some players and fortunate for some others, and unfortunately I was on the wrong side of it. It is what it is. I think it’s only helped me fuel that fire a little more to go out and do my own thing. I think taking that path through college really helped and I’m glad I did it.
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In 2023, I came through LPGA Tour Q-School and then finished second early in my rookie season. That changed things financially. Q-Series was such an amazing week. I remember walking off the 18th green after that final round and just bawling my eyes out because I’d worked so hard for that since I was a kid. Realising a dream was such a special moment. I remember calling my parents immediately after I walked off the green – it was 4am in Australia and they were watching and were in tears. It was really special to celebrate that day with them. I remember that morning I was extremely nervous. I didn’t know how I was going to get through the final day. I knew I needed to go low to finish in the top 45 and luckily shot a 70 to finish 15th, which was cool.
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Beating Lydia Ko at the LPGA Match Play this year was a fun week. I wish the matches after beating her were a little better as well. That was a really fun day. As I said in my interviews after that round, Lydia is such an incredible human being and I have a lot of respect for her. When I was playing against her, she was just so nice. It’s funny, because I’m very fiery in matchplay and I just could not be fiery that day because she was so nice. I knew I had to bring my A-game and it was a week that I wasn’t even supposed to play. Matchplay is my favourite form. I love matchplay. I have a great record in junior golf, Interstate Series in Australia and in US college.
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In Perth, I love going to the beach, eating fish ’n chips because you cannot find that anywhere else in the world, going to all my favourite spots I grew up with and catching up with friends and family. I spend as much time as I can with my parents because they’re still there and I don’t get to see them as much.
MORE: A happy, healthy Nelly Korda edges Aussie Hira Naveed to win third straight LPGA event
