Maiya Tanaka Wiki 2023 – Net Worth, Bio, Golf, Influencer, The Amazing Race
Maiya Tanaka is a professional golfer from California, United States. She made a name for herself in the golfing community but also appeared on a few reality TV shows.
Maiya Tanaka has a big social media following and is a California girl through and through. She studies at her dream university, UCLA, and has many titles behind her name. Read on to find out more about this great golfer!
Below we list a few interesting facts about Maiya Tanaka, the pro golfer and reality TV star.
Maiya Tanaka Quick Facts
Age |
35 |
Height |
1.69 m |
Nationality |
American – San Diego, California |
Home Golf Course |
Colina Park Golf Course; The Grand Del Mar |
Birth Date |
March 1, 1986 |
College |
University of California-Los Angeles |
Net Worth |
$11 Million |
Maiya Tanaka Early Life
Maiya Tanaka is born and bred in San Diego, California. She has a sister, Misa, who appeared on The Amazing Race with her, but more about that a little bit later!
Maiya’s father had a very big influence on her love for golf. She started playing golf at age 11. Maiya’s father signed her and her siblings up for the local First Tee program. She shot a hole in one on the first hole of her very first golf tournament and was hooked!
Maiya attended high school at Mira Mesa in San Diego. She started practicing and playing for her school’s male golf team because the school did not have a female team at the time.
The amazing thing is that Maiya was still the number one player and helped qualify the team for the boys C.I.F. Championship.
Maiya was unable to participate due to her gender which inspired her coach to create Mira Mesa’s first female golf team.
Maiya was back in action leading the girls’ team to C.I.F. Championship the following year.
After high school, Maiya was accepted to study at UCLA, but it wasn’t till her junior year that she got the opportunity to join the school’s golf team.
Maiya Tanaka Career And Achievements
Soon after Maiya’s 11-year-old success in golf, she was participating in a non-profit organization called Pro Kids Golf Academy, Maiya learned the fundamentals of golf.
She started practicing almost daily on a par 3 golf course close to her home. This shaped her professional career in golf.
Later on, Maiya went on to compete in local tournaments and she won most of them! This gave her the opportunity to qualify for the U.S.G.A. Girls Junior Championship in the year 2000. She was the youngest competitor on the West Coast to qualify for this championship.
Later on, the Pro Kids Golf Academy named her Sports Person of the Year in 2000 and she was fortunate enough to travel to Taiwan in 2001 and 2002 for the Trans-Pacific Cup. Maiya also competed in Junior America’s Cup team for multiple years.
In 2006-07 Maiya placed 20th at the Pac 10 Championships. She qualified to play in NCAA Regionals and Nationals and managed to get an even-par in her first round at the Regionals and ended up tied for the 65th spot at nationals.
After this, Maiya was selected to represent her university team in 2008, and they traveled to China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korea.
In 2013, Maiya enrolled in the LPGA qualifying school and began at the first stage in Palm Springs, CA. Maiya then competed in the second stage in Florida and scored an eight-under-par.
By the final stage at the LPGA course in Daytona Beach, FL she was awarded full status on the Symetra Tour. In 2014, Maiya competed in her first full season at the Symetra Tour.
Maiya Tanaka On The Amazing Race And Big Break
Maiya appeared on her first reality tv show in 2010. She appeared in the show Big Break: Sandals Resort 2010. After this, she appeared on The Amazing Race in 2012 with her sister, Misa Tanaka.
The sister team got a lot of attention from the show and this definitely helped give Maiya’s social media presence a big break.
The sisters ended up placing 11th in the show. They made a lot of mistakes in their only leg of the race and were eliminated.
You can watch a clip from the Big Break show here and a clip from The Amazing Race episode here.
Maiya Tanaka’s Net Worth, Prize Money, and Sponsors
According to sources, Maiya Tanaka has a net worth of $11 Million. This is a great net worth! She made her money by winning multiple golfing titles and through sponsorship deals with brands.
Maiya Tanaka, The Social Media Influencer
Maiya appeared on different reality TV shows and not only did she gain a following on social media because of this, but she is also popular under golfing fans.
Maiya has over 55k followers on Instagram. Maiya is a sponsor for various brands online. Maiya is sponsored by brands like Vessel, this is also the bag she uses, Swing, Oncore Golf, and Blast Golf.
Maiya Tanaka Husband
Maiya is married to Jamie Puterbaugh. The couple started dating in 2018 but got married on June 5, 2021.
It is not clear what exactly Jamie does for a living, but we are happy to see how happy Maiya is. She posts about their relationship quite often on her social media.
Final Thoughts
Maiya Tanaka clearly has a lot of talent when it comes to playing golf. From a young age, she made an impact on the golfing industry.
From being the only girl on her high school’s golf team to leading her university team to victory. This golfer has a lot to be proud of.
Not only is Maiya a golfer, but she also made a name for herself on television and social media.
With her amazing net worth, loving partner, and a great career, Maiya will only become more and more successful in the future. She is definitely someone to follow and keep an eye on!