LAURA DIAZ
Birthdate: April 27, 1975
Birthplace: Scotia, N.Y.
Age: 30
Ht: 5'8"
Home: Amelia Island, Fla.
College: Wake Forest
Turned Professional: 1997
LPGA Tour Wins: 2 -2002 Welch's/Circle K Championship, LPGA Corning Classic.
Player Notes:
Professional
2004 Highlights
• Recovered from off-season ankle surgery to post seven top-10 finishes.
• Best finish was second place at The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions.
• Finished fourth at the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic, sixth at the ADT Championship and seventh at the LPGA Corning Classic.
• Carded a season-low 65 during the first round of the State Farm Classic, where she tied for 11th.
2004 Stats (Rank)
Rds under par: 53/91 (9) Rds in the 60s: 25/91 (20) Birdies: 329 (11)
Eagles: 4 (63) Greens in reg: 71.5% (9) Driving accuracy: 72.1% (65)
Sand saves: 38% (59) Putts per GIR: 1.80 (27) Driving avg: 256.0 (40)
2003 Highlights
• Best finish was at the Asahi Ryokuken International Championship at Mount Vintage, where she tied for third.
• Recorded three other top-10 finishes: tied for fifth at the Kraft Nabisco Championship; tied for eighth at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL; and placed ninth at the ADT Championship.
• Posted a career-low 63 in the final round of the LPGA Corning Classic, where she tied for 15th.
• Crossed the $2 million mark in career earnings after tying for 20th at the Safeway PING Presented by Yoplait.
• Was a member of the U.S. Solheim Cup Team.
2003 Stats (Rank)
Rds under par: 41/91 (30) Rds in the 60s: 20/91 (37) Birdies: 310 (12)
Eagles: 8 (12) Greens in reg: 66.2% (42) Driving accuracy: 67.3% (102)
Sand saves: 41.8% (35) Putts per GIR: 1.79 (20) Driving avg: 256.7 (44)
2002 Highlights
• Enjoyed a breakthrough season, posting 10 top-10 finishes and becoming a Rolex First-Time Winner at the Welch's/Circle K Championship; earned her second victory eight events later at the LPGA Corning Classic.
• Was one of four winners in 2002 to win an event with all rounds in the 60s (Welch's/Circle K Championship, 67-67-68-68).
• Finished third at both The Office Depot Championship Hosted by Amy Alcott and the Chick-fil-A Charity Championship hosted by Nancy Lopez.
• Posted her career-low round of 64 in the second round of the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL, where she tied for third.
• A member of the victorious U.S. Solheim Cup Team, where she posted a 3-1 record.
2002 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 45/81 (8)Rds in the 60s: 28/81 (6)Birdies: 282 (14)
Eagles: 4 (36)Greens in reg: 70.2% (8)Driving accuracy: 74.4% (41)
Sand saves: 56.2% (2)Putting avg: 29.71 (46)Driving avg: 253.4 (57)
2001 Highlights
• Enjoyed the best season of her career, posting 12 top-10 finishes, including three second-place finishes at the Longs Drugs Challenge, McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by AIG and Sybase Big Apple Classic Presented by GOLF MAGAZINE, all career bests.
• Tied for second at the Welch’s/Circle K Championship.
• Posted a career-low round with a 65 during the third round of the State Farm Classic, where she finished fifth.
Recorded the first hole-in-one of her career during the third round of the Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open.
• Led the Tour in eagles (13) with Sophie Gustafson.
• Crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings after tying for third at the Weetabix Women’s British Open.
2001 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 57/97 (7) Rds in the 60s: 37/97 (6) Birdies: 344 (4)
Eagles: 13 (1)Greens in reg: 69.4% (18) Driving accuracy: 72.7% (54)
Sand saves: 46.6% (24)Putting avg: 29.55 (19) Driving avg: 249.70 (35)
Career Highlights
• In 2000, top finish was a tie for third at the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic.
• In 1999, best finish was a tie for sixth at the Michelob Light Classic.
• In 1998, named Rookie of the Year on the Women Professional Golfers’ European Tour (WPGET).
• From 1997-98, won three times on the Futures Tour.
Amateur
Diaz won the 1995 North-South Amateur Championship and 1996 Eastern Championship. In addition, she made it to the quarterfinals of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. She played collegiate golf at Wake Forest, where she was the 1995 ACC champion, a first-team All-American from 1996-97 and was the 1997 Female Athlete of the Year. . .Started playing golf at the age of 9...Credits her father, brother, good friends Dottie Pepper and David Duval and her idol Nancy Lopez as the individuals most influencing her career. Her brother, Ron Philo Jr., is also a golf professional. . .Married Kevin Diaz on Nov. 25, 2000...Maiden name is Philo... Competed as Laura Philo from 1999-2000...Hobbies include spending time with friends and family, going to the movies, playing with her dog Cocoa, running and shopping.