Oregon's Own Caroline Inglis Making Strides in LPGA Tour Career

PORTLAND, Oregon - The Oregon grown, Caroline Inglis has enjoyed great success throughout her golf career at the junior, high school, college, and now LPGA Tour level.

From Eugene, Inglis attended Churchill High School where she won three straight 5A girls golf individual titles.

“I won my senior year, and I had signed an incorrect scorecard, but I would have won by 10 strokes. So would have had four in a row but I won’t ever make that mistake again.” Inglis said.

Inglis went on to play for the Oregon Ducks where she became the first golfer in Oregon program history to be named the Pac-12 Individual Champion in 2015. She led the Ducks to their lowest NCAA Championships finish in program history (T5) in 2016, at the time.

She has been on the LPGA Tour since 2017 her rookie year playing in three events LPGA Tour events while also playing on the Epson Tour. She made 18 starts on the Epson Tour, making 13 cuts including three top 10 finishes to earn her tour status.

Inglis started golfing at the age of 13, where she fell in love with the game.

“Most girls start when their 5 on the LPGA and grew up with a golf club in their hands. I hated golf, I thought it was boring, my dad and brother played,” Inglis said. “They signed me up for a junior golf camp, and I was better than other kids and I got obsessed with it and was hooked from then on.”

Inglis is a Columbia Edgewater CC member where the Portland Classic has been hosted for many years and recently signed a new title sponsor to a three year deal.

“I think it’s great. Obviously I love the tournament, ‘cause it’s on the schedule being such a long-running event,” Inglis said. “I worry about the place in the schedule, if no one wants to play it’s not going to be a very strong field. Its two weeks after the British Open next year. Hopefully, we can keep it on the schedule, with the history I think it’s a pretty important part, and I think it should be on the schedule.”

Inglis went through a coaching and caddy change early in the 2024 season, which included going through a swing change in the middle of the season.

In 2024, she had 22 starts and made 9 cuts including two top 10 finishes, one at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship where she tied for 9th place in the major.

Then the following week Inglis tied for 8th place in the DOW Championship where she finished at 16-under.

“This year was interesting. I didn’t play great after playing in China, at the end of March. I remember finishing the first major the Chevron and being upset with my game,” Inglis said. “I called a good friend and decided to get a second opinion with another coach. It’s a big change, its nice, and its made me excited to work on something new, I’m getting older as far as LPGA Tour players. It was the time to try something new. I started working with Bret Lederer.

“I started playing better, and then had a bad stretch, then good again. Kind of a rollercoaster of a year. That’s one way to find success, when you’re playing good, its good. I’m excited to keep working with Bret. I’m excited to have two months off, have a gameplan, and work on my swing change.”

Inglis is 31 and plans on having a family one day, at which point she will likely step away from the LPGA Tour.

“A lot of people don’t realize for men to play and to have a family its easier. With the support, I can’t imagine how that would work, traveling on tour,” Inglis said. “My husband works full time and doesn’t travel. Once I choose to have a kid, I’m done. It depends on how I’m playing but a max of three more years. Golf was my life, and there is more to life now and will see on a year-to-year basis.”

As far as her favorite career moment one was this year at the AIG Women’s Open at St Andrews in Scotland.

“This year, I wasn’t into the British Open, I played my way in at the Scottish Open, I finished in the top 20, and got into the British. Having my husband there, and being able to play at St Andrews at the British Open, was so special. I shot a six over and then a six under (66). I’ll always remember that round in some tough conditions. In 2021, at the Portland Classic, I finished 12th and I made a hole-in-one, all my family and friends were there watching, it was so cool.

Inglis has 15 career top-25 finishes and missed the 2019 season due to a back injury that required surgery. She earned $364,500 in official earnings in 2024, which is the most of her career. Tournament purses have continued to increase over the last few years.

Inglis hopes that the game continues to grow and develop for girls in Oregon.

“I think Oregon Junior Golf had such a great tournament schedule for us. When I was playing junior golf, there was a bunch of us who played Division I golf, so hopefully that continues,” Inglis said. “Being from a state that rains all the time, it makes you grateful when it doesn’t rain. It makes you tough, growing up having to practice in the rain. I had the mindset, when it was raining I didn’t have an issue with it. With the weather in Scotland, its just how it was when I grew up.

“Hopefully we see a lot more women from Oregon, we see a lot more women on the LPGA Tour, and it keeps progressing.”