Mariajo Uribe Bio
María José Uribe Durán, known more commonly as Mariajo Uribe, is a professional golfer from Colombia who spent more than a decade competing on the LPGA Tour. Born on 27 February 1990 in Girón, Santander, she made global headlines as a teenager by winning the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur and remains the only player from Latin America to have captured that championship. After building her game in the amateur ranks and at UCLA, Uribe turned professional in 2009 and went on to represent Colombia at major international events, including multiple Pan American Games.
Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and based in Bucaramanga, Colombia, Uribe combined a calm temperament with a steady short game, qualities that helped her collect medals at the Pan American, Central American and Caribbean, South American, and Bolivarian Games. She retired following the 2024 season, closing out a career that bridged amateur glory with steady professional achievement.
Early Life and Background
María José Uribe Durán was born on 27 February 1990 in the town of Girón, in the Santander department of Colombia. She grew up in a country where golf was still an emerging sport for women, and she developed her game against a backdrop of limited local infrastructure for elite female players. That environment shaped her resourcefulness, and from a young age she showed the kind of focus that would soon take her onto the international stage.
Her early exposure to competitive golf came through Colombian junior events, and her talent quickly outgrew regional competition. By her mid-teens, Uribe was travelling abroad to play amateur tournaments, gaining experience on faster greens and tougher conditions than she encountered at home. The move paid off when, at just 17 years old, she arrived at the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur as a relatively unknown teenager from South America.
Uribe later continued her development in the United States by enrolling at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she played collegiate golf. Although she spent only about a year and a half on campus before turning professional, her time with the Bruins sharpened her course management and prepared her for the demands of tour golf.
Path to Golf
Uribe’s path to the professional game was accelerated by her stunning 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur victory, where she defeated Amanda Blumenherst 1 up in the final. The win made her the first, and still the only, Latin American player to claim the championship, instantly placing her on the global golf map. The following year, she tied for tenth at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open and was the low amateur in the field, confirming that her amateur success was no fluke.
At UCLA, Uribe earned All-American First Team honors in both 2008 and 2009, becoming one of the most decorated collegiate players in the program during her brief tenure. She used the spring of 2009 to leave UCLA and return to Colombia, then ended her amateur status in the summer of 2009 ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open. That decision marked her official transition from decorated amateur to touring professional.
Mariajo Uribe Career
Early Career (2009-2010)
Uribe turned professional in 2009 and joined the Futures Tour in July of that year, making her pro debut at the ING New England Golf Classic, where she tied for 15th place. The finish was a strong start, and at the end of the season she qualified for membership on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour for 2010, doing so on her first attempt in qualifying school.
Her first year on the bigger stages was about learning the rhythm of full-field professional events, juggling commitments between the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. That dual-tour schedule gave her exposure to a wide range of courses and conditions, helping her build the resilience that would later serve her in international team competition.
LPGA Tour Era (2010-2024)
Uribe’s most memorable early professional victory came on 29 May 2011, when she won the HSBC Brazil Cup, an unofficial LPGA event, defeating Lindsey Wright by one stroke. The win in Brazil was especially meaningful because it came on South American soil, where she was already a national sporting figure thanks to her amateur accomplishments.
Throughout her LPGA Tour career, Uribe posted several strong finishes in the game’s biggest events, including a tie for 30th at the 2012 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a tie for 32nd at the 2013 Chevron Championship, a tie for 22nd at the 2013 Women’s British Open, and a tie for 10th at the 2014 Evian Championship. She also tied for 10th at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open as an amateur, a result that foreshadowed her future major-championship consistency.
Uribe remained a steady presence on the LPGA Tour through the 2020s, contributing solid seasons even as the global golf calendar was disrupted. By the time she announced her retirement following the 2024 season, she had built a reputation as one of the most respected South American players of her generation, both for her play and for the example she set for younger Colombian golfers.
Driving Style and Strengths
Uribe was known for her composure under pressure and a sharp short game that allowed her to save par on difficult greens. Her ability to plot her way around a course with smart course management made her a tough opponent in match play, and that style was a major reason she thrived in the U.S. Women’s Amateur before transitioning into the stroke-play world of the LPGA Tour.
Notable Events and Milestones
Her 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur triumph remains the defining milestone of her career, a victory that opened doors for an entire generation of Latin American women golfers. She added to her legacy with medals at multi-sport events, including the 2015 Pan American Games gold and the 2023 Pan American Games silver, making her one of the most decorated Colombian golfers in history.
Mariajo Uribe Career Wins
Over the course of her professional career, Mariajo Uribe collected two recognized professional victories, with additional success on satellite and unofficial circuits. Her win total reflected a career built more on steady, week-to-week performance and international representation than on a deep professional trophy case, and she was widely respected for the longevity of her time on tour.
Ladies European Tour Highlights
Uribe recorded one Ladies European Tour victory, a co-sanctioned event shared with the WPGA Tour of Australasia. The win added a second tour trophy to her résumé and highlighted her ability to compete successfully across multiple international circuits, including the LPGA Tour, the Ladies European Tour, and developmental tours like the former Futures Tour.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond her recognized tour wins, Uribe captured the 2011 HSBC Brazil Cup and represented Colombia with distinction in team events. She also posted additional victories in international amateur and regional competitions, including the 2008 Mexican International Amateur, which reinforced her status as one of the leading amateur players of her era.
Mariajo Uribe Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Uribe’s immediate family details are not widely documented in public sources, and specifics about parents and siblings are limited. What is clear is that her family supported her early travel to international junior events and her decision to study and play at UCLA in the United States, a path that required significant commitment from a young Colombian golfer.
Personal Life
Uribe has long been based in Bucaramanga, Colombia, where she has spent time between tour stops throughout her professional career. Information about a spouse or children has not been publicly confirmed in available sources, and she has generally kept her personal life out of the spotlight in favor of letting her results and her role as a trailblazer for Colombian women’s golf do the talking.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marks the first year of Mariajo Uribe’s post-playing career, as she announced her retirement following the 2024 LPGA Tour campaign. With her competitive schedule concluded, her focus has shifted toward mentoring, promotional work, and other opportunities connected to Colombian golf, though no formal tour role had been publicly confirmed at the time of writing.
Her absence from the LPGA Tour leaves a notable void for Colombian and broader Latin American golf, a community she helped put on the map through her 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur win and her Pan American medals. Younger players from the region now cite her as a key inspiration for pursuing professional careers on major international tours.
Looking ahead, Uribe’s legacy will be measured as much by the path she opened as by her competitive results. Her combination of an amateur championship, multiple international medals, and more than a decade of full-time tour golf makes her one of the most influential figures in the history of Colombian and Latin American women’s golf.