| Birth date | 11 December 1974 (age 51) |
|---|---|
| Birth place | Eindhoven, Netherlands |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 166 lb (75 kg; 11.9 st) |
| Residence | Lake Nona, Florida, U.S. |
| Yearpro | 1997 |
| Extour | European Tour Challenge Tour |
| Prowins | 2 |
| Eurowins | 1 |
| Chalwins | 1 |
| Masters | DNP |
| Usopen | CUT: 2003, 2006, 2011 |
| Open | T41: 2005 |
| Pga | CUT: 2005 |
Maarten Lafeber (born 11 December 1974) is a Dutch professional golfer.
Early life and amateur career
Lafeber was born in Eindhoven, North Brabant. He won the Dutch, Swiss and Spanish amateur championships in his youth.
Professional career
Lafeber turned professional in 1997. He earned a European Tour card at the first attempt but lost it at the end of 1998.
Lafeber played on the second-tier Challenge Tour where he won the 1999 Tusker Kenya Open. He regained his place on the main tour for the 2000 season. In 2003, he became the first home player to win the Dutch Open since Joop Rühl 1947, and that remains his only win on the European Tour.[1] In July 2005, he reached a career high ranking of 88 in the World Golf Ranking.
Lafeber once sold shares in himself to Dutch businessmen to help finance his career.[2]
Personal life
In June 2025, Lafeber's son Guus made his debut appearance at the KLM Open as an amateur, where Maarten acted as his caddy.[3] Later in August 2025, Guus went on to win the Boys Amateur Championship at County Louth Golf Club in Ireland.[4]
Amateur wins
- 1995 Dutch Amateur Stroke Play Championship
- 1997 Dutch Amateur Championship, Spanish Amateur Open Championship, Swiss Amateur Open Championship
Professional wins (2)
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 Oct 2003 | Dutch Open | −13 (67-69-64-67=267) | 1 stroke | Mathias Grönberg, Søren Hansen |
Challenge Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 Mar 1999 | Tusker Kenya Open | −19 (66-66-69-64=265) | 3 strokes | Erik Andersson |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | ||||||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | T41 | |||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT |
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Open | CUT | |
| The Open Championship | ||
| PGA Championship |
Note: Lafeber never played in the Masters Tournament.
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
Team appearances
Amateur
- European Amateur Team Championship (representing the Netherlands): 1993, 1995, 1997
- European Youths' Team Championship (representing the Netherlands): 1994[5]
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing the Netherlands): 1994, 1996
- St Andrews Trophy (representing the Continent of Europe): 1996
Professional
- World Cup (representing the Netherlands): 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007
- Seve Trophy (representing Continental Europe): 2005
See also
References
- ^ "Lafeber claims maiden win". BBC Sport. 12 October 2003. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Harrington puts the pressure on Lafeber". The Irish Times. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "A very special moment for Maarten and Guus Lafeber at the KLM Open". KLM Open. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "Guus Lafeber wins the R&A Boys' Amateur at County Louth". Irish Golfer. 16 August 2025. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
- ^ "EGA Events, Results, European Team Championships, European Youths' Team Championship". European Golf Association. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2023.