LEONA MAGUIRE BECOMES FIRST EVER IRISH WINNER ON LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

LEONA MAGUIRE has won for the first time on the Ladies European Tour after triumphing at the Aramco Team Series individual event in London.

The Cavan native needed a birdie to make the playoff on the final hole but instead secured victory with an eagle.

Maguire finished on eight under par, one shot ahead of Spain’s Maria Hernandez.

Another Irishwoman, Dubliner Lauren Walsh, produced a similarly impressive performance, finishing strongly with a 65 that left her tied for third on six under along with USA’s Alison Lee and England’s Georgia Hall.

An opening round of 66 had paved the way for Maguire’s triumph, before a 72 yesterday kept her at the top of the leaderboard.

The 29-year-old began well today, opening with successive birdies. However, bogeys on the fourth and eighth hole, as well as a double bogey on the sixth set her back.

A birdie on the 12th was offset by another bogey on the 16th before her stunning finish with an eagle saw her finish on 73 for the day and emerge victorious.

It is Maguire’s fifth professional title and a boost ahead of a Major tournament next week in the Evian Championship.

“I did it the hard way today,” Maguire told Sky Sports when asked about her eagle finish. “I felt like it was tough out there, didn’t play my best golf, but to be fair Dermot [Byrne], my caddie, kept saying ‘be patient’. And he said right beforehand: ‘Let’s hit the shot of the year here.’ It was just a perfect number and my trusty hybrids came in handy again.”

Of her rivals for victory, Maguire added: “I knew Alison was making a run. I thought I had to get to 10, to be honest, 10 was the number I had in my head. But I just hung in even when things weren’t going right, and nice to finish in style on 18.

“I was just trying to hit a good [final] putt. It was a little bit like a Solheim Cup. I knew no Irish girl had ever won on the LET so that putt was for me, that putt was for my family and that putt was for Ireland — a proud moment for all of us.”

2024-07-05T16:06:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd