Who is Cara Gainer? Personal Life, Career & More Details About LPGA Star Explored

Cara Gainer picked up golf at 14 and became a scratch player by 17. Born in Oxford, she quickly rose through the amateur ranks before turning pro in 2020. After a strong rookie season on the LET Access Series, she earned her place on the Ladies European Tour and claimed her first win at the 2025 Lalla Meryem Cup. Known for her explosive swing, intense fitness routine, and drive to promote women’s golf, Cara stands out as a late bloomer who’s rapidly become a rising force on the Tour.

Gainer started playing at Castle Royle Club in Berkshire when she was 14. Today, she has partnered with The Club Company, which runs 17 golf clubs in the UK, to help grow women’s golf and encourage more girls to take up the sport. In June 2024, she hosted the “Cara Gainer Invitational” at Castle Royle, a special event for women and girls with golf tips, competitions, and a Q&A session. After the event’s success, she and The Club Company plan to do more in 2025 to support female players. But what’s interesting is that golf was not her first choice of sport.

“Tennis was, I guess, my first love,” she said. Gainer doesn’t play tennis anymore, but she still loves watching it, especially Wimbledon. She mentioned it’s how she spends her evenings after golf. But none of her sports career would’ve been possible without the support of her parents, who’ve been behind her every step of the way.

Who are Cara Gainer’s Parents?

Her mother, Dame Fiona Powrie, is a highly respected figure in the world of science. A leading immunologist, Dame Fiona is the Director of the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford and has been widely recognized for her groundbreaking research on the immune system, particularly in gut health and inflammatory diseases. In 2022, she was honored with the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to medical science, and she’s also a Fellow of the Royal Society—one of the highest honors in British academia.

Despite coming from such a strong academic and science-focused background, Dame Fiona has always supported Cara’s journey in a completely different field. Whether it was driving her to tournaments or encouraging her passion for the sport, she stood by Cara’s side as her daughter chased her dream not in a lab, but on the golf course.

Cara Gainer’s father is a pilot, and although he hasn’t always been around due to the nature of his work, the values he’s passed on, like discipline, focus, and calm under pressure, shine through in her approach to golf. She also has a sister, Jess Gainer, adding to the close-knit support system that’s helped Cara stay grounded through the highs and lows of her journey.

However, this is not her only support system; alongside her family, another constant source of support has been her fiancé.

Other Support Systems of Cara Gainer

In June 2023, Cara Gainer shared a special moment off the course when she got engaged to her longtime partner, Sebastian Brock. Posting from Prague, she announced the news with a simple yet sweet message on Instagram: “About last week in Prague… it wasn’t just golf. I also said yes 💍 21.06.23.” It was a personal highlight in a year already full of professional milestones, showing that both her career and personal life are on a joyful upward swing. The couple is now planning to get married in December, continuing their journey together both in golf and beyond. Sebastian even caddied for her during her first LET victory at the Lalla Meryem Cup, showing support throughout one of her most memorable weeks.

Playing at the Amundi Evian Championship, an $8 million event, as of Round 3, Cara Gainer sits at the top of the leaderboard, leading the charge in one of the biggest tournaments of the season. Just one round stands between her and what could be a defining moment in her career, her second professional win, and this time, a major one. If she holds her nerve, Sunday could mark the start of something truly special.