MARIA HJORTH
Birthdate: October 15, 1973
Birthplace: Falun, Sweden
Age: 31
Ht: 5’9"
Home: Scottsdale, Ariz.
College: Univ. of Stirling, Scotland
Turned Professional: 1996
Joined LPGA Tour: 1998
LPGA Tour Wins: 2 - 1999 SAFECO Classic, Mizuno Classic.
Player Notes:
Professional
2004 Highlights
• Best finish was a tie for 17th at the State Farm Classic.
• Carded a season-low 65 during the second round of the Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill.
• Won the Ladies English Open on the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour (LET).
• Returned to the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament Presented by American Airlines, where she tied for 12th to retain exempt status for the 2005 season.
2004 Stats (Rank)
Rds under par: 13/59 (119)
Rds in the 60s: 5/59 (121)
Birdies: 157 (104)
Eagles: 9 (12)
Greens in reg: 62.6% (97)
Driving accuracy: 51.7% (167)
Sand saves: 38.3% (56)
Putts per GIR: 1.85 (97)
Driving avg: 258.3 (28)
•In 2003, best finish was a tie for fifth at the Kraft Nabisco Championshi
2002 Highlights
• Best finish was a tie for second at the Evian Masters, where she carded a season-low 64 in the final round and crossed the $2 million mark in career earnings.
• Earned a spot on the European Solheim Cup Team.
2002 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 29/71 (32)Rds in the 60s: 16/71 (36)Birdies: 236 (33)
Eagles: 9 (5)Greens in reg: 68.6% (18)Driving accuracy: 61.7% (152)
Sand saves: 42.4% (31)Putting avg: 30.65 (136)Driving avg: 265.3 (52001 Highlights
• Although she did not win a tournament, more than doubled her career earnings on the strength of nine top-10 finishes.
• During the early summer, finished either second or third in six out of seven tournaments.
• Finished second at the Evian Masters and Jamie Farr Kroger Classic Presented by ALLTEL; tied for second at the Wegmans Rochester International and LPGA Corning Classic, where she tied her career-low score of 63 during the third round.
• Tied for third at the LPGA Champions Classic, where she crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings, and McDonald’s LPGA Championship Presented by AIG, her best finish in a major.
2001 Stats (rank)
Rds under par: 41/94 (36)Rds in the 60s: 26/94 (17) Birdies: 348 (3)
Eagles: 9 (10) Greens in reg: 69.8% (14) Driving accuracy: 65.3% (141)
Sand saves: 36.8% (116) Putting avg: 30.70 (146) Driving avg: 263.60 (2)
Career Highlights
• In 2000, finished second at the Subaru Memorial of Naples after losing to Nancy Scranton on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff; carded her career-low round of 63 during the second round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic.
• In 1999, recorded two wins, the SAFECO Classic and the Mizuno Classic, where she played with a mix-matched set of clubs because her clubs were lost by an airline; led the Tour in birdies (408), becoming the first LPGA player to record more than 400 birdies in a season; recorded her first LPGA hole-in-one at the AFLAC Champions Presented by Southern Living.
• In 1998, recorded three top-10 finishes, with her best coming at the Friendly’s Classic, where she tied for fifth.
• Member of the Swedish, European and Australian Tours; won the Delsjo Ladies Open, Toyota Ladies Open and Aspeboda Ladies Open on the Swedish Professional Ladies Tour; member of the Players West Tour, where she won the A.V. Rubbish Classic.
Amateur
Hjorth enjoyed a very successful amateur career. She was a member of the Swedish National Team from 1991-96 and was the winner of 23 amateur events. As a junior in 1991, she won on the Swedish Professional Ladies Tour and captured the Swedish Girls Order of Merit title. In 1995, she went on to win the European Ladies Amateur title. . .Credits her parents, coach, Liselotte Neumann and Seve Ballesteros as the individuals most influencing her career...Hobbies include curling (playing in the highest division in Sweden), aerobics and reading books.