Natalie Gulbis, Top Babe of Pro Golf?

She may be criticized by some for her choices, but this lady golfer, the subject of millions of Internet searches, is a focal point in the world of professional golf.

Natalie Gulbis Photo courtesy: settimanasportiva.it

SALEM, Ore. - A woman who first found interest in golf at the age of four, Natalie Gulbis, has taken the world by storm, but maybe not as much for her game as for her looks, and she doesn't seem to mind at all.

Courtesy: athletearchive.com

At the age of 23, Gulbis has been at it for many years, honing and perfecting her swing and drive and placing consistently near the top. But she didn't see her first professional win until 2007 during the Evian Masters. Many will recall her defeat of Jeong Jang in a playoff that allowed her to claim the winner's share of the $3,000,000 purse.

Gulbis has become the sweetheart of ESPN, for one, and it appears that decisions to show herself off in yearly bikini calendars is effective promotion.

"The 23-year-old Sacramento, Calif., native has been on our radar for quite some time," ESPN's Mary Buckheit wrote. "Not only is she a rising star on the LPGA Tour -- while she's still searching for her first tournament win, she's 15th on the money list this year with over $675,000 in winnings -- she has all the makings of the next Page 2 Hottest Female Athlete."

That isn't exactly how the professional golfing community sees it though, her provocative poses in skimpy swimsuits and overly sexy dresses, saw the United States Golf Association ban one of her calendars at the U.S. Women's Open.

But the calendar was sold openly at Golf Canada and no golfers reportedly took exception. They criticized the USGA for overreacting and barring it from being sold at the event afrer deeming it inappropriate.

The list of businesses that seek her endorsement is growing too, so far Gulbis has deals with TaylorMade Golf, Adidas, Canon, Amstel Light, Payment Data Systems, MasterCard, Winn Golf Grips and the Lake Las Vegas Resort.

She may be criticized by some for her choices, but this lady golfer, the subject of millions of Internet searches, is a focal point in the world of professional golf.

Is this really a story from Nov. 4? Didn't she win her first LPGA tournament this summer? It mentions the calendar being banned. Wasn't that wasn't that way back in 2005?

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports