Mimi Rhodes talks to Alison Root about how she got into golf, her incredibly fast start to life on tour and the healthy sibling rivalry with sister Patience.
Meeting Ladies European Tour player Mimi Rhodes at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club, set against its classic links, you immediately notice her calm confidence, a clear sign of her recent phenomenal success.
Fresh off securing three Ladies European Tour (LET) titles in her rookie season, Rhodes’ story is one of unwavering dedication, strong family bonds and a disciplined path to golfing glory. I sat down with the rising star to unravel the journey so far, which has propelled her to the forefront of women’s golf.
Rhodes’ golfing narrative, like many, begins with a deep family connection. She credits her grandmother as the primary catalyst, a passionate golfer whose enthusiasm proved infectious.
“She definitely has inspired me and my sister ever since we were young,” Rhodes shares, recalling how she picked up a club at the tender age of six or seven. Her grandmother, along with her grandpa, were “mad golfers, crazy for golf”, instilling in them that a love for the game was about so much more than just winning.
“I’d always play with them when I was young on the weekends, and they’d just show me the fun part of it,” Rhodes says. Judging by her down-to-earth nature, that sense of fun still runs through all she does.
FROM SOTOGRANDE TO SOMERSET
Burnham and Berrow, her home club, played a unique role in her formative years. Despite growing up in Spain, the pull of English education led Rhodes and her sister Patience — a talented golfer in her own right who plans to turn professional after graduating from Arizona State University — to Millfield boarding school, just 20–30 minutes from the club.
“We’d come here every Wednesday and Saturday and play on the course, and my grandparents would come to watch or just have lunch with us,” Rhodes recounts. “It would be a nice escape from boarding school, that’s for sure.” This dual upbringing, combining the sunny, golf-rich environment of Spain with the structured development facilitated by an English boarding school and home club, provided a comprehensive and unique foundation for her career.
Given her early years in Spain, an inevitable question arises: would her progression have been as swift had she grown up golfing solely in England?
“Sunshine, I know,” Rhodes chuckles, acknowledging the obvious advantage. “Where we live in Sotogrande, there are probably ten different golf courses within a five-minute drive.”
She concedes that the golf culture and weather there are on another level. While her connection to Burnham and Berrow and her grandparents would have still drawn her to the game in England, the constant sunshine and abundance of courses in Spain definitely helped a lot. Beyond the pursuit of golfing excellence, education held a significant place on the Rhodes family agenda. For both Mimi and Patience, a ‘Plan B’ was paramount. “We’ve always wanted a back-up plan in case golf didn’t work out. You never know, with injuries and stuff,” Rhodes explains.
Golf always remained their top priority, but Rhodes adds, “Our parents have raised us well and wanted us to have a good education and we’re grateful to them for that.” Her pragmatic approach speaks volumes about the sensible grounding provided by her family, preparing her for any eventuality in the unpredictable world of professional sport. After her time at Millfield, Rhodes headed across the Atlantic to Wake Forest University in North Carolina. Her four years there were transformative. “What an experience, best four years of my life,” she says emphatically.
Both sisters played in last year’s winning Curtis Cup team at Sunningdale.
Her biggest strength now is her putting. However, this wasn’t always the case. Back in university, she was obsessed with the range, spending two or three hours a day trying to perfect her swing. After two tough years without the desired results, her college coaches delivered a pivotal message: to be the best pro, she needed to work on her short game and putting. They went so far as to “ban me from the range if I hadn’t done two hours of putting beforehand,” she admits.
“I’m actually so grateful to them now,” Rhodes confesses, while acknowledging she was so angry at the time, wanting only to hit balls. This imposed discipline had a trans formative effect. “They’ve actually made me love putting. Somehow it’s worked,” she grins. Now, her practice routine begins with the putting green, then chipping, with only about 30 minutes spent on the range. “Looking back on those wins and looking at my stats, putting is what helps you win,” she concludes. “I’ll just focus on putting for the rest of my life, I guess,” she adds with a wry smile.
Beyond the golf course, Rhodes is fortunate to have some unexpected hidden talents. Before golf, she was involved in rhythmic gymnastics and reached Grade 7 in piano, both of which she credits with instilling invaluable discipline.
Win number one came in the Ford Women’s NSW Open.
“I had to do these routines over and over,” she recalls. “I think that kind of passed into golf a bit, having to just grind out there in bad weather, you know. If you couldn’t do a putting drill, just stay there for hours and do it.” Her harder piano teacher also contributed to her disciplined approach. Thinking about it now, she believes these experiences were instrumental in developing the focus and perseverance needed for professional golf.
RIVALS AND FRIENDS
The relationship between Rhodes and sister Patience is a blend of fierce competitiveness and profound closeness. When I ask about their rivalry, Mimi laughs, “Oh my God, someone always ends up in tears!” She quickly clarifies they’ve got better over the years, but fondly recalls childhood chipping contests where “the loser would always end up in tears or have a bit of a strop at the end”.
Despite these moments of intense sibling rivalry, Rhodes emphasises how golf has brought them closer.
together. “It’s just nice having someone else to practise with,” she reflects. “Growing up, especially starting the game at such a young age, girl golfers of a similar skill level were rare.”
Rhodes gives me a sense of the incredible bond she shares with Patience and the rock-solid support they get from their family. Patience was competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur with their parents right there, while Mimi was thousands of miles away, on her way to winning her second consecutive LET title in South Africa.
The Rhodes sisters teamed up in last year’s Curtis Cup.
Despite a seven-hour time difference, Patience and her parents were in bed at 5am, in the total dark, frantically trying to get a VPN to watch Mimi’s big moment. When direct streaming just wouldn’t work, they ended up FaceTiming the sisters’ brother, who had the live action on his iPad. “It’s just incredible to have that support,” Rhodes says, clearly touched by the memory.
The dream of emulating successful golfing duos, like the Korda sisters, has long been a shared aspiration. “Definitely when we were growing up, we always used to watch them on TV at my grandparents’ house. She’d always have an LPGA event on, especially the Solheim Cup,” Mimi remembers. This dream recently manifested itself when the sisters played together in the 2024 Curtis Cup.
“This was also a goal of ours,” Rhodes says. “It was quite emotional when we played foursomes together, especially being in England, so that all our family could come and watch. It was truly a week I’ll remember forever. Playing together in the Solheim Cup is definitely one of our goals,” Rhodes adds. “We’re still young, so we can try and make that happen.”
Mimi and Patience have different swings. Mimi plays with a draw and Patience with a fade, due to her height and longer limbs, but they still enjoy learning from each other. Mimi describes Patience’s short game as really good and she often beats her in chipping contests, which Mimi admits has driven her to chip more. Meanwhile, Mimi offers Patience swing advice, sharing the knowledge she’s gained over the years.
A VERY FAST START TO TOUR LIFE
Mimi’s breakthrough in her rookie season on the LET has been nothing short of sensational. Winning consecutive titles, with a third following a few weeks later, so early in her professional career is a rare feat and testament to her readiness for the big stage.
When asked if she ever imagined such rapid success, she replies, “No, not at all. I mean, I thought it would happen in my first year, but definitely not that quickly.” She acknowledges that success in golf doesn’t just require good play: “For a win, you kind of have to wait for everything to come together, and there’s obviously a bit of luck in it as well.” Crucially, after her first win she maintained a level head. “I just kept my expectations the same, didn’t increase them,” she says, “and then, yeah, it happened again.”
Winning totally changed her perspective. “Once you win, it kind of changes your mindset, and it gives you the belief that you can do it and that you have the stuff to do it,” she tells me. Her current goals are ambitious yet practical. While initially aiming for a top-five finish on the Order of Merit, she now has her sights set on winning it and making the 2026 Solheim Cup team.
However, she’s taking care not to get ahead of herself. As her coach, Lawrence Farmer, always likes to remind her:
“Stay in the present, don’t heighten your expectations too much and just focus on the next tournament.”
Mimi says her sister’s chipping has driven her to work harder on hers.
The conversation naturally shifts to the broader landscape of women’s golf. Rhodes was pleasantly struck by the attention and support, particularly in recent events. “I was really surprised in Australia and South Africa how well they televised the events and how many people came out to watch,” she says. She firmly believes women’s golf is really developing and getting the attention it needs.
But she’s also realistic about the road ahead. “The money still needs to increase quite a bit,” she tells me, but she remains optimistic about the future, noting year-on-year improvements. “Every year, it’s getting better and they’re boosting the prize money, which is great for women’s golf,” she says. The increase in media coverage is particularly exciting: “It’s definitely inspiring a lot of young girls, which is the main goal, I think.”
GETTING GIRLS INTO GOLF
As for the future, a big question is how to encourage girls into golf and retain them. Rhodes offers valuable insights. “It’s difficult, because it’s not a sport a lot of girls get into if there aren’t many others around,” she explains, comparing it with more classic sports like netball or hockey.
For Rhodes, the solution lies in community and accessible programmes. “I think the main thing is if you’re close to a golf club where there is a programme for young girls, or anyone in the area who inspires them,” she says, stressing the importance of having support around you when you first start, as it prevents young girls from getting distracted by other sports.
She knows first-hand the challenges of being the only girl surrounded by boys in golf, affirming, “It’s not fun.”
Her grandparents instilled a sense of fun into her out on the golf course
Rhodes is acutely aware of her role as an emerging talent in inspiring young British golfers. “Looking back when I was younger, I’d look up to players like Charley Hull and Georgia Hall and watch them at the Solheim Cup,” she reflects. “That was always a goal of mine to grow up and become that kind of figure to younger girls, which I hope I’ve done, and hope I will do more of in the future.”
Rhodes is clearly more than just a three-time winner on the LET. Her story is a great example of talent shaped by all sorts of experiences, a highly supportive family and a constant drive to get better. Her journey from the greens of Burnham and Berrow to the global stage is really just getting started, and with her down-to-earth attitude and obvious skill, she’s definitely someone to keep an eye on in women’s golf.
