Padraig harrington might need to visit Leona Maguire again this summer. The Meijer LPGA Classic champion credited her key ups and downs in this week’s tournament to shots Ireland’s Harrington taught her before the AIG Women’s British Open last summer.
Maguire lit up the closing Blythefield Country Club holes in Bellmont Michigan on Sunday, as U.S. Open competitor Rory McIlroy was arriving at Los Angeles Country Club to play the final round. The Irishwoman, who had finished runner-up in the Meijer for the past two seasons, put the hammer to the ground, playing the final six holes at 6 under, to pull away from the field with a back nine 30 on her way to a 64.
Maguire, 28, was the first Irishwoman ever to win the Drive On Championship in February 2022. The former Duke player was the best amateur in the world, ranking at No. Rose Zhang recently broke the record of being No. 1 for 135 consecutive weeks.
Maguire started the day with 13 under par and set the goal to get 20 under par for the entire tournament. She beat that by a shot and beat Ariya Jutanugarn and Xiyu “Janet” Lin by three strokes.
Maguire was ecstatic about her second LPGA career title. “It’s not enough to know what to do, you have also got to execute it.”
A well-deserved winning moment for @leona_maguire pic.twitter.com/Yp8Fjv0qvL
LPGA (@LPGA 18 June 2023
Lin, from China, was on course to win her first LPGA trophy after 202 attempts until she misfired on the 17th and bounced off of a spectator sitting in a chair. This resulted in a lie which required her to negotiate a tree. Lin ended up bogeying that hole, while Maguire birdied the 18th.
“I learned today how to stay in the process, stay true to myself, and with my own games,” said Lin after recovering from a bout of COVID.
“I didn’t feel that I did the best but I did pretty well.”
Ariya Jutanugarn, who was ranked 73rd after her opening round, tried to make one of the greatest comebacks in the LPGA’s history. Former No. The former No.
Maguire is expected to be the talk of next week’s KPMG Women’s PGA, which will take place at the famed Baltusrol golf club. Last season, Maguire finished in the top 10 of two majors. She also achieved a career high fourth place at the AIG Women’s British Open held at Muirfield. Maguire had a look at the Lower Course of Baltusrol on Monday, after the Mizuho Americas Open.
She said, “It is a monster of a golf course.” It’s an important venue. This week has been a good practice for it. This week I felt like I was able to drive the ball well.
I think they will be fast and firm there as well, just like here. It’s a different test because it is a major.
Maguire’s biggest goal is to rest and recover as quickly as possible, before starting work with Shane O’Grady on Monday, her swing coach since she was 10.
O’Grady was in Orlando last week, working with Maguire on Lake Nona. He made only minor changes. Maguire’s confidence has been high for several weeks, and she cites a turning point in her season, which was when she shot four under par on Friday at the Chevron to make the cut.
Every champion in Meijer’s history has won at least one major championship.
Maguire said, “I am just doing what I can to inspire the next generation of Irish girls.”
