Maia Samuelsson
Which round is your most memorable?
My second place finish in the Skandia Cup Final in 2017. I was seven shots behind the leader going into the final round. I played remarkable golf and shot 67, -5. This score was good enough for a play-off, but a mistake with the score card put me one shot behind the leader.
It is my responsibility to check the score card, and I did not see that my marker had written a par instead of a birdie on the 17th hole. I know rule number 6, so my round was registered as 68. It was a tough lesson to learn, and I was devastated at the time. I am convinced it will be beneficial in the future, as I am now very careful checking my score card. I also learned at this competition that I am capable of shooting low scores during important events.
What is it like to compete against boys during the winter?
I like playing with boys and girls my age. I practice with boys only during the winters. However, it makes me frustrated that most competitions are not set up fairly.
Boys and girls compete together in one class based on age. Modern courses have lots of options regarding tees and slope rating. If the course rating from the men’s back-tees is 74, then the tournament director ought to select a tee for girls with a similar rating. But girls almost always plays a course that is rated two to four strokes higher. I know the courses I play most often are comparably tougher, and I have much longer shots into the greens.
I am a fighter and know I should not let anyone push me down, but sometimes I cannot help getting hurt. I recently played a tournament in Portugal where it had been decided that I and other girls should play a course that was 6380 yards, 5834 meters. It was really windy and winter, so there was not much roll on the fairways. I hit the ball quite long compared to other girls in the field. Still there were two par 4 holes that I could not reach in regulation, and I had to hit woods or hybrids into most par 3.
I played the best golf ever to this day. I glued hybrids and 5 woods to the pin and finished the first round with -2, 70. I was in the lead before all the boys.
When I came back next morning for the second round, they had moved the boys tees forward on lots of holes, without moving any of the tees for the girls. The motivation was that I had played too well the first day. I finished third in the event. I was so angry that I cried in frustration. I have decided to focus on the fact that events like these will make me stronger. My experiences have made me motivated to fight against discrimination in golf and life. My parents made a list of songs for me on Spotify with real girl power lyrics to add to my playlist. During the summers, I compete in Sweden and Norway. There girls are encouraged to play golf. I participated in more than 25 tournaments and team events last summer, and I cannot wait for the next season to start.
You represented Team Värmland and the junior team for Karlstad golfklubb last summer in Sweden. How was that experience?
The best! Some of the highlights from last summer. I love to share success, high fives and fist pumps. We had amazing team spirit and so much fun. It was definitely a contributing factor when we won Länskampen and other matches. Almost all my close friends are golfers. Some are team mates and others are competitors. We keep in touch via Snapchat. We encourage each other to practice and get better.
Why do you want to play college golf?
There were two specific events. I went with my mother to University of Tennessee in Knoxville when she was inaugurated into the Lady Vol Hall of Fame. The actual ceremony took place during a football game. I remember a sea of orange and the amazing atmosphere. I also met lots of other athletes, athletic department staff and coaches. Later, I went with my parents to the NCAA finals a the Concessions in Florida to watch the Lady Vols play in the finals. I saw the teams playing, practicing, eating , joking, laughing and having a good time. I also saw the team bags, team clothing and even matching trolleys. I decided then and there that this was something that I hoped to one day be a part of.
Both your parents are PGA professionals. Were you destined to become a golfer?
On the contrary! When I grew up, I spent a lot of time at the club during the summers while my parents were working. I used to enjoy sitting next to the staff picking up balls on the range, but I rarely practiced myself. There was a room above the pro shop where I used to watch dvd films. I played nine holes occasionally with my parents, but not even I expected that I would really enjoy golf one day. I realize that I have been fortunate to have two parents that have taught me the basics already when I was young. It helped me progress very quickly the day I started practicing seriously. My parents are my number one coaches, and it is practical to get technical advice and support from the persons that know me best.
How come you are now enrolled in an online high school?
I started school in Spain when I was three. When I was seven, I changed to a private catholic girl’s school. I left home at 8 o’clock in the morning and came home at 6 o’clock in the evening. In addition, I had homework every day, every weekend and during all school holidays. I trained gymnastics three days a week, but there was no time for anything else.
We moved to Portugal three years ago. My parents decided that it was too much to learn and study a fourth language. We researched many options, and decided to attend an American private online high school. It was first when I started high school that I had time to practice and play golf.