German golfer Leonie Harm claimed her first professional title on the Ladies European Tour on Sunday, triumphing at the German Masters with birdies on her final two holes. The victory marked a remarkable milestone for the 28-year-old, who was told she might never walk again after being struck by a drunk driver in 2013.
Harm was a highly rated 15-year-old junior when she was hit by a car travelling at 45mph while crossing a street near her home during an early-morning run. The impact caused collapsed lungs, a skull fracture, brain hematomas, broken ribs, a fractured hip and ankle, and damage to her left ear. She was placed in a medically induced coma, with doctors uncertain about her recovery.
Reflecting on her long-awaited breakthrough, Harm spoke of the resilience required to overcome difficult periods, including the loss of her mother to cancer shortly after she began studying biochemistry at the University of Houston, and recent thoughts of stepping away from professional golf. "I believe right now I’m in a good spot mentally," she told the LET. "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."
Harm, who entered the German Masters ranked 250th in the world, said winning her first title on home soil made the achievement especially meaningful. "So many people came out to support," she said, "and that just means a lot."
