Left it very late to lock down her place in the Olympic Games. By moving into the top-15 on the World Rankings at the conclusion of the U.S. Women’s Open – thanks to a tied eighth place finish - she was able to seal the third spot for the United States behind Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis. Born in Roswell, New Mexico, she won the state golf championship in 2003 and also was an all-state volleyball player. Picked up the game late – at age 15 – and did not start competition golf until high school. Turned pro in 2007 following a decorated career as a collegiate golfer at University of Texas at El Paso, where she won several titles. In 2009, Mendoza appeared on the Golf Channel reality television competition The Big Break. Finished fifth on the Futures Tour money list in 2010, earning her full playing privileges on the LPGA Tour for 2011, the year in which she married fellow professional golfer, Martin Piller.