Maria Bonzagni is the senior director for golf gloves at FootJoy.
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She oversees the manufacturing and marketing for the overwhelming market leaders when it comes to golf gloves.
We always look forward to catching up with Maria at the PGA Show in Orlando as she is one of the most vibrant and passionate characters in the golf industry.
What she doesn’t know about gloves isn’t worth knowing. But what would she be doing if she wasn’t working in golf? Read on to find out…
Where did you grow up?
Lynnfield, Massachusetts.
When did you first get into golf?
I’m the youngest of five and my dad played golf. My brothers caddied at Salem Country Club in Massachusetts. In the late 1970s he asked my mum to play – she was in her late 30s and really athletic. He also asked my sister and I if we wanted to play.
I was 12 years old, I took lessons from the head professional there and that’s how I started.
We were all athletic so took to it quite easily but I was the one who continued to practice and started working in the shop when I was aged 13.
The pro continued to be my mentor and said he’d continue to give me lessons if I promised to practice and by the time I hit 17 I won the Massachusetts state junior championship.
How did you get from working in a pro shop at 13 to joining FootJoy?
After graduating from Bentley University in Massachusetts I majored in marketing with a minor in management. Went into banking for a few years and completely got out of golf.
By the time I was 25 I was ready to get back into golf. I had the opportunity to start at the ground level at FootJoy – that was in customer service.
