Ranked No. 17 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (as of 6/5/2024)
2024 FINAL SCOREBOARD BY CLIPPD RANKING: No. 6
HONORS
WGCA First Team All-American | 2024
WGCA National All-Freshman Team | 2024
Golfweek Second Team All-American | 2024
SEC Freshman of the Year | 2024
All-SEC First Team | 2024
SEC All-Freshman Team | 2024
ANNIKA Award Spring Watchlist | 2024
SEC Golfer of the Week | March 20, 2024
3X SEC Freshman Golfer of the Week | Sept. 6, 2023, Oct. 11, 2023, Feb. 13, 2024
Augusta National Women’s Amateur invitee, made cut | 2023, 2024
COLLEGIATE BESTS
Low Round: 66, Round 2 at the MountainView Collegiate (3/16/24)
Low Tournament: 205 (67-70-68), at the Carmel Cup (9/1-3/23)
Best Finish: 1, at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational (10/2-4/23)
RECORD BOOK
Season
1st – Par 4 Scoring (3.9709), 2023-24
2nd – Scoring Average (70.83), 2023-24
2nd – Par or Better Rounds (23), 2023-24
2nd – Par 3 Scoring (3.0167), 2023-24
5th – National Rankings (6th), 2023-24
T10th – Birdies (101), 2023-24
T10th – Eagles (2), 2023-24
11th – Finish Percentage (87.2%), 2023-24
13th – Par 5 Scoring (4.8288), 2023-24
T13th – Wins (1), 2023-24
Tournament
2nd – Low 72 Hole Total, 283 (-5) at the NCAA Championship (5/17-20/24)
T5th – Low 36 Hole Total, 134 (-10) at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational (10/2-3/24)
T6th – Low 54 Hole Total, 205 (-11) at the Carmel Cup (9/1-3/23)
T11th – Low Round vs. Par, -6 at the MountainView Collegiate (3/16/24)
T12th – Low Round, 66 at the MountainView Collegiate (3/16/24)
T13th – Low 36 Hole Total, 137 (-7) at the Carmel Cup (9/1-2/23)
T27th – Low Round vs. Par, -5 at the Puerto Rico Classic (2/6/24), Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2X (10/2-3/23) and Carmel Cup (9/1/23)
T29th – Low Round, 67 at the Puerto Rico Classic (2/6/24), Blessings Collegiate Invitational 2X (10/2-3/23) and Carmel Cup (9/1/23)
AS A FRESHMAN (2023-24)
Played in 10 tournaments with 30 rounds … Coming off an unbelievable first collegiate season, being named the SEC Freshman of the Year, as well as a WGCA First Team All-American, Golfweek Second Team All-American, an All-SEC First Team choice and SEC All-Freshman Team selection … One of five in the country named to the WGCA All-Freshman Team … Led the team in scoring average (70.83), rounds at par or better (23), rounds in the 60s (8) and tied for the most birdies (101) … Her par 4 scoring average (3.9709) broke a school record and her scoring average, rounds at par or better and par 3s average (3.0167) were ranked second in a single season in program history … Logged one win, four top five finishes (including two runner-up showings), five top 10 finishes and nine top 20 outings … Tied a 54-hole freshman record in her first collegiate appearance at the Carmel Cup, in which she was the runner-up with an 11-under 205 (67-70-68) … Earned her first collegiate victory at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational with a 10-under 134 (67-67) … Logged a 67 in the final round at the Purdue Puerto Rico Classic to help the Hogs win the tournament … Was the runner-up at the Mountainview Collegiate with an 8-under 208 (72-66-70), highlighted by a season-low 66 in the second round … Tied for eighth at the NCAA Las Vegas Regional Championship with an even 216 (68-71-77) … Registered a tie for fourth at the NCAA Championship with a 5-under 283 (72-68-71-72).
PRIOR TO ARKANSAS
Successful amateur player, ranked No. 33 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and was No. 22 in the Rolex American Junior Golf Association Ranking (at the time of her signing) … Became the first Latin American at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to make the cut to play at the prestigious Augusta National … Also one of 72 amateur golfers in the world to receive an invite to play at ANWA … 2022 USGA Girls Junior Championship semifinalist … Won the 2023 Mexican Women’s Amateur by four strokes … Named the 2021 and 2022 South American Girls Junior champion …. Her nine-stroke win at the 2022 South American Girls Junior Championship was one of her 11 World Amateur Golf Ranking wins that year … Was victorious at the Girls Junior Orange Bowl in Miami in 2022 … Earned the individual gold medal in the South American Games … Won the XII Juegos Suramericanos Paraguay in a tournament played with professionals from 15 different countries … Placed second at the 2022 World Junior Girls Championship in Ontario, Canada … A part of the winning Colombian team at the South America Amateur Team Championship … Represented Colombia at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships in France … Won three of her four World Amateur Ranking starts.
PERSONAL
Daughter of Lorena Negrete and Jose Marin … Has a younger brother named Emilio … Plans to study accounting.
COACH TAYLOR ON MARIA
“Maria comes to the University of Arkansas with a very decorated junior and amateur golf resume. She has competed all over the world and has a complete game. She is one of the hardest working junior golfers I have ever met, and it shows when she competes. She leaves no stone unturned in her preparation and she loves to win. Maria understands her strengths and is lasered-focused on executing a plan that plays to her strengths in every round she plays. She will bring an intensity to what we do, and I look forward to helping Maria on her journey to the U.S. to play collegiate golf.”
