Spain's María Hernández has won the Lady Puerto Rico Classic, marking her tenth university victory in the United States since moving across the Atlantic to continue her academic and athletic training at Purdue University.

The golfer from Navarre accumulated 219 strokes over the three days of competition, the same as Indiana player Laura Notchta, with whom she maintained a tough battle from the beginning.

María Hernández handed in cards of 75 and 71 in the first two days of competition, tied at that moment with the aforementioned Laura Nochta, protagonists of a final round full of excitement that however neither of the two was able to break the tie when they finished the last round with 73 strokes.

Purdue University, thanks mainly to the combined efforts of Maria Hernandez and her teammate Maude Aimee Le Blanc –who finished fourth–, won the team competition at this Lady Puerto Rico Classic, with a 21-stroke advantage over the University of Tennessee.

Also noteworthy is the performance in this tournament of Spain's Marta Silva, from the University of Georgia, fourth in the final individual classification with 221 strokes.

The Absolute Spanish Champion in 2003, winner of the Mediterranean Games in 2005 and gold medalist in the Absolute European Team Championships of 2003 and 2005 – among other dazzling successes – María Hernández has won the Lady Northern Invitational in 2006, the Betsy Rawls Longhorn Invitational, the Bryan National Collegiate and the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational – all in 2007 – the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, the Indian Invitational, the Big Ten Championship, the NCAA Central Regional Final and the Lady Northern Invitational, all in 2008.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION
1.- María Hernández (Purdue) 219 (75+71+73)
+.- Laura Nochta (Indiana) 219 (72+74+73)
3.- Nathalie Mansson (Tennessee) 220 (77+70+73)
4.- Marta Silva (Georgia) 221 (73+74+74)
Full results