Maria Hernandez

She started playing golf at the age of 12 and credits her parents with most influencing her career.
Hernandez, the 2009 NCAA player of the year from Purdue University, turned in a strong collegiate career, which was capped off with the NCAA Division I Individual Championship.  She won 13 times while at Purdue, and in 2008, she won the Big Ten Conference Championship and was named the Purdue female athlete of the year. She is a two-time Duramed National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-America First Team selection and a two-time Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 2007 and 2008.
An eight-year member of the Spanish National Team, Hernandez is a five-time European Team Championship gold medalist and earned a gold medal as an individual and team at the 2005 Mediterranean Games.
In June of 2009, she turned professional. She finished sixth at the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, earning Priority List Category 11 for the 2010 LPGA season. She played in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic and tied for 52nd at the CN Canadian Women's Open.
In 2010, her rookie season on the Ladies European Tour, she played in seven events and earned her maiden victory at the inaugural Allianz Ladies Slovak Open at Gray Bear Golf Club with a one-shot victory over Kristie Smith. She posted two top-10 finishes: a tie for fifth at the Open de Espana Femenino and a seventh at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open. Finished 14th on the order of merit with earnings of euros115,588.82. Finished second on the LET Rookie of the Year standings to South Korean In-Kyung Kim.
2011 Notes: Played in five Ladies European Tour events, with a best finish of T-15th at the ANZ RACV Ladies Masters.
2012 Notes: Maria played a limited schedule due to injury (bulging disc). She competed in three Ladies European Tour events with a season-best finish of T-17th at the Lacoste Ladies Open.
2013 Notes: Maria played in 15 Ladies European Tour events, with a season-best finish of T-16th at the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open. She ended the season ranked 68th on the Money List.
2014 Notes: Played in 19 LPGA events, making three cuts. Best finish T-39th at the KIA Classic. Finished 149th on the money list. Maria made six LPGA starts; Maria best finish was T-2nd in the Lacoste Ladies Open de France at Golf de Chantaco.
2015 Notes: Played in 20 LPGA events, making 11 cuts. Best finish T-19th at the KIA Classic, she finished 105th on the money list. Only played twice on the LET, best finish T-58th at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open.
2016 Notes: Played in just three LET events, best finish T-17th at the ISPS Handa New Zealand Women's Open.
She has had injuries throughout most of her career. In 2014, while in China, she acquired a parasite and suffered an ulcer on her intestine that made her intolerant of gluten, glucose, and fructose. Injuries in 2016 forced a limited schedule, and she did not play at all in 2017 due to injuries.
2018 Notes: Made her first start at the Oates Vic Open T-37th, then missed the cut at the ActewAGL Canberra Classic. Her best LPGA finish was T-50th at the Kingsmill Championship.
2019 Notes: Played in 10 events with a best result of T-12th in the Magical Kenya Ladies Open.
2020 Notes: Played in nine events with a best result of T13 at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open. Finished 69th in the Race to Costa del Sol.
2021 Notes: Maria played in 21 LET events to finish 29th in the Race to Costa del Sol, and Maria's season-best result was T-3rd at the Estrella Damm Ladies Open.
2022 Notes: Played in 28 LET events, making 14 cuts with one top-ten finish. She was 73rd in the Race to Costa Del Sol and was 78th on the money list with earnings of euro54,589. Best finish was T-3rd at the Joburg Ladies Open, six shots back of the winner Linn Grant.
2023 Notes: Played in 22 LET events, making 13 cuts with one top-ten finish. She was 51st in the Race to Costa Del Sol and was 66th on the money list with earnings of euro82,147. Best finish T-2nd at the Belgian Ladies Open, two shots back of the winner Patricia Isabel Schmidt.
2024 Notes: Played in 28 LET events, making 19 cuts with five top-ten finishes. She was 8th in the Order of Merit and was 29th on the money list with earnings of euro172,903. She was 2nd at the Ladies Italian Open, one shot back of the winner, Amy Taylor. Finished T-8th at the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open and T-5th at the VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open. Was runner-up again at the Aramco Team Series - London, a shot back of the winner Leona Maguire. Finished T-4th at the Wistron Ladies Open-Taiwan. Was T-22nd in the season-ending Andalucia Open de Espana.
2025 Notes: Best finish T-20th at the Investec South Africa Women's Open.