# Laurette Maritz

Laurette Maritz (born 13 January 1964) is a South African professional golfer. She won three titles on the Ladies European Tour between 1988 and 1990, and was LET Rookie of the Year in 1988.

## Early life and amateur career

Maritz grew up in Johannesburg and started playing golf when she was 11. Consumed by the sport, she quit high school after the 11th grade. Playing on the South African National Team, she won tournaments in Europe, and she was thinking about turning professional. After meeting LPGA Tour player Sally Little in 1983 she accepted a golf scholarship to United States International University in San Diego, where she earned All-American honors four times and a BA in Physical Education. She was a 1987 Honda Sports Award nominee.

## Professional career

Maritz turned professional after graduating in 1987 and joined the Ladies European Tour in 1988. She enjoyed immediate success, and won the season opener, the Marbella Ladies Open, 3 strokes before Dale Reid and Corinne Dibnah. She also won the EMS Masters in Portugal in her third start, to capture the LET Rookie of the Year title.
She was runner-up at the TEC Players Championship at Patshull Park G&CC in England both in 1989 and 1990. In 1990 she won her third title, the Laing Ladies Charity Classic at Stoke Poges in England, and was runner-up in the Ladies German Open at Wörthsee Golf Club in Bavaria.
Maritz also recorded runner-up finishes at the 1991 Spanish Classic and the 2013 Ladies Norwegian Challenge. She also emerged as runner-up to Karen Lunn at the Open de France Dames in 1997. In 2007, she tied for 3rd at the Northern Ireland Ladies Open. Maritz represented South Africa at the Women's World Cup of Golf each year from 2005 to 2008.
In addition to the LET, Maritz played on the South African tour, where she won several tournaments including the South African Women's Open, South African Ladies Masters, Pam Golding Ladies International and Telkom Women's Classic.

## Professional wins (10)
### Ladies European Tour wins (3)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
| 1 | 17 Apr 1988 | Marbella Ladies Open | 283 (−3) | 3 strokes | Dale Reid Corinne Dibnah |
| 2 | 7 May 1988 | EMS Masters | 213 (E) | 3 strokes | Tania Abitbol Karen Lunn Alison Nicholas Marie Wennersten-From |
| 3 | 8 Jul 1990 | Laing Ladies Charity Classic | 275 (−13) | Playoff | Alison Nicholas |

### Ladies African Tour wins (7)

| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
| 1 | 1989 | South African Women's Open | | | |
| 2 | 1996 | South African Women's Open | | | |
| 3 | 1998 | South African Ladies Masters | | | |
| 4 | 2003 | Pam Golding Ladies International | –7 (209) | 3 strokes | Elisabeth Esterl |
| 5 | 2003 | Nedbank Women's SA Masters | | | |
| 6 | 2005 | Telkom Women's Classic | –7 (71-70-68=209) | 2 strokes | Antonella Cvitan |
| 7 | 2006 | Telkom Women's Classic | –9 (73-66-68=207) | 1 stroke | Rebecca Hudson |
Source:

## Results in LPGA majors

Maritz only played in the Women's British Open.
| ! Tournament | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Women's British Open | T60 | CUT | CUT | T66 | | CUT |
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" = tied

## Team appearances

Amateur
* Espirito Santo Trophy (representing South Africa): 1982
Professional
* Praia d'El Rey European Cup (representing the Ladies European Tour): 1997
* World Cup (representing South Africa): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008