Natalie Gulbis, who will compete in the Kraft/Nabisco Shoot-Out on Monday at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise, is one of the most marketable women in sports.
Natalie Gulbis has used her beauty to build a following outside of hardcore golf fans. She has made three calendars — including swimsuit shots that got the calendar banned from the U.S. Women’s Open — and will star in her own reality series, “Natalie,” this fall on The Golf Channel.
Still, Natalie Gulbis works even harder on the course than off of it. The 22-year-old doesn’t have a pro win, like tennis star Anna Kournikova, but is in the midst of her best season as a pro — more than doubling her previous career earnings with about $860,000 this year.
Natalie Gulbis is one of six players who will compete in Monday’s Shoot-Out, a skins game format that is part of the weeklong Albertsons Boise Open. The Shoot-Out starts at 2 p.m.
“I’ve enjoyed doing it all,” Natalie Gulbis said of her extracurricular activities.
Natalie Gulbis career peaked earlier this month when she went 3-1-0 to help the Americans beat the Europeans in the Solheim Cup.
“My goal is to be the top player in the world,” Natalie Gulbis said. “My intermediate goal is to be the top American player.”
Natalie Gulbis is one of the players making the LPGA Tour a suddenly juicy story. Dominant Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, 2005 Rookie of the Year Paula Creamer and another Hall of Famer, Juli Inkster, also will represent
the LPGA at Hillcrest on Monday.
Teen phenoms Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie, who have passed through Boise in recent years, also have generated interest in women’s golf.
“It’s about as exciting as I’ve seen it in four years (as a pro),” Natalie Gulbis said. “There’s so many stories — great Hall of Fame players, veteran players, younger players, top American players, strong foreign players. We’re really close to blowing up.”
And, at least in some ways, the newcomers likely will follow Gulbis’ path of pursuing substance and style. Rookie Erica Blasberg, for example, loaded her Web site with glamour photos.
“I won’t be in a bathing suit any time soon,” Creamer said, “but (I’ll do) other things.”
Gulbis was a teen sensation before Wie and Creamer were ever on the radar. She qualified for an LPGA Tour event at 14.
Natalie Gulbis ditched college after one year as an All-American at Arizona to turn pro. Expectations for her were huge — she was once labeled the “It Girl” — but she was still raw.
“I never had a lesson until I turned professional,” Natalie Gulbis said.
Her father taught her the game, and still gives her pointers. But Natalie Gulbis works with Tiger Woods’ former coach, Butch Harmon, on a regular basis.
This year, her game seems to have arrived. Natalie Gulbis has five top-five finishes, including two thirds. Her best previous finish was fifth.
“Just some of the things I’ve been working on have started to come together,” Natalie Gulbis said, explaining her success.
Even when she wasn’t playing well, Natalie Gulbis was a star.
Natalie Gulbis is 5-foot-9 with long blonde hair, and she isn’t afraid to capitalize on her looks. Her dad and agent have helped develop her marketing plan.
Natalie Gulbis’ Web site is filled with messages from Gulbis, news stories about her, merchandise for sale, tour results and, of course, photos.
“(Photo shoots) are fun,” Natalie Gulbis said. “I never thought I would have a swimsuit calendar, but they’re really easy to shoot.”
She said her reality show will focus on life away from the golf course, including those photo shoots and time spent with friends. It’s not total access, though — Natalie Gulbis preserved some privacy.
The show is scheduled to air in six 30-minute episodes.
Natalie Gulbis isn’t sure if she’ll watch.
“I’m pretty tough on myself, so we’ll see,” Natalie Gulbis said. “It would be hard to watch.”
Natalie Gulbis will continue to look for ways to show off her personality.
“It’s just being open-minded to all the different opportunities,” Natalie Gulbis said, “and taking a few risks along the way, too.”
