Laura Diaz was born in 1975 in Scotia, New York. She pursued a business degree at Wake Forest University, where she was named Female Athlete of the Year in 1997. As an amateur golfer, she built a strong résumé, winning the 1995 North & South Women's Amateur Championship and capturing the 1996 Eastern Women's Championship. That same year, she advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur.
Diaz turned professional in 1997. She began her pro career on the Futures Tour, where she secured three tournament victories in succession. Her wins included the Weston Hills Futures Classic in 1997, followed by the SunTrust Futures Classic and the Eaglebrooke Futures Championship in 1998.
In 1998, Diaz also joined the Ladies European Tour (LET) as a rookie, gaining further experience on the international stage before focusing her efforts on the LPGA Tour in the following years.
Laura Diaz found significant success on the LPGA Tour in the early 2000s. She captured two LPGA Tour victories in 2002: the Welch’s/Circle K Championship and the LPGA Corning Classic. Her consistent performances helped establish her as one of the top American players of that period.
Diaz represented the United States in four Solheim Cup competitions—in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2007. The Solheim Cup, a prestigious team event between American and European women golfers, was a highlight of Diaz’s career. She recalled feeling the most pressure during a match in Sweden, where she partnered with Kelly Robbins against Suzann Pettersen and Annika Sörenstam.
Laura credits her father, Ron Philo, for encouraging and supporting her golf career. In November 2000, she married Kevin Diaz. The couple has two children: a son, Robert, born in 2006, and a daughter, Lily, born in 2010.
Outside of golf, Laura enjoys shopping, watching movies, running, and spending time with friends and family. An active sports enthusiast, her favorite team is the New York Yankees, and she has mentioned that if she hadn’t become a golfer, she might have pursued a career in tennis.
She began playing golf at the age of 9. Notably, Diaz was mistakenly associated in media reports with plastic surgery—a claim later clarified to be about a television anchor named Laura, not the golfer.
2007: Diaz tied for third at both the Safeway International presented by Coca-Cola and the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic presented by Kroger. She surpassed $4 million in career earnings with a tie for fourth at the Canadian Women’s Open.
2008: Her best finish was a tie for second place at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay.
2009: Notable performances included ties for 26th at the SBS Open, the HSBC Women's Champions, and the Honda LPGA Thailand.
2010: Diaz recorded a strong finish by tying for fifth place at the LPGA Tour Championship.
2011: Her top result was a tie for 38th at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
2012: Diaz finished tied for 39th at the Navistar LPGA Classic.
