Despite working through a COVID-19 shutdown and an injury, this past year has given LPGA Tour golfer Marina Alex a new outlook.

“Because of COVID where we had five months off on our tour, then I played for a max a month before I was injured, so that was another five months away. So, I think I definitely have a new perspective and I’m excited to be back. It feels new again,” Alex says.

Alex is originally from Wayne and is currently based in Jupiter, Florida. She learned to play golf on courses in Passaic County.

Alex was a two-time New Jersey State Champion at Wayne Hills High School in 2007 and 2008.

“I do have some great memories playing on the high school golf team and at that point we only had a boys team. And now Wayne Hills has a girls team, which is great to see,” Alex says.

Alex went on to play college golf at Vanderbilt and won the SEC Championship in 2010. She was named SEC Golfer of the Year twice.

She turned pro after college and earned her first LPGA Tour win in 2018 at the Cambia Portland Classic.

“I always feel like I haven’t even become the best golfer that I could be and that’s the beauty of the game. So, I’m definitely still, even at 30, looking at it like I can get better and that’s a really cool thing,” Alex says.

Now that Alex is back in the swing of things, she says that her goals moving forward are to keep improving

“I would really like to get back into contention and maybe win another tournament again. I know Solheim Cup is in September and that's another goal of mine for this year,” she says. “I was fortunate enough to make the team in 2019 and that was a really cool experience and I would love to be back.”

Alex will next appear in an LPGA Tour event – the ANA Inspiration – this weekend.