Thirteen years after nearly losing her life when she was hit by a drunk driver, German golfer Leonie Harm has secured her inaugural professional title on the Ladies European Tour, triumphing on home soil.
Harm clinched the German Masters on Sunday, sinking birdies on her final two holes to achieve a long-awaited breakthrough that once seemed impossible following the devastating incident in 2013.
Then a highly-rated 15-year-old junior in European golf, Harm was struck by a car travelling at 45 miles per hour, driven by an intoxicated woman, as she crossed a street near her home during an early-morning run.
The impact left Harm with collapsed lungs, a skull fracture, and hematomas in her brain, alongside broken ribs, a fractured hip and ankle, and damage to her left ear. Doctors placed her in a medically induced coma, uncertain if she would ever walk again.
Reflecting on her maiden victory, Harm spoke of the “resilience” required to navigate the challenging periods of her life. These included the loss of her mother to cancer shortly after she began studying biochemistry at the University of Houston, and her recent contemplation of stepping away from professional golf.
“I believe right now I’m in a good spot mentally,” Harm told the LET, “and for it to then be paired with success in golf is such a great feeling because I didn’t have to be miserable.
“I could’ve been happy this whole time and it would have worked with a lot of the times where you get impatient and to be more forgiving to yourself.
“A good takeaway there is to be your own best friend eventually and hopefully then be successful in working with yourself rather than against it, which I’ve done for probably most of my life.”
The 28-year-old, who entered the German Masters ranked 250th in the world, expressed particular joy at winning her first title in her native country.
“So many people came out to support,” she said, “and that just means a lot.”
