Leona Maguire secures first victory on the Ladies European tour
Leona Maguire has made history again as the first Irish Woman to win on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series in Hemel Hempstead London.
After an impressive opening seven-under 66, Leona was a front-runner throughout the tournament and despite a challenging final round, she triumphed with a stunning eagle on the par-five 18th hole.
“Dermot, my caddie, he just kept saying, ‘be patient, be patient’,” Leona said afterwards, “and he said right before [hitting the second shot to 18], ‘let's hit the shot of the year here. It was just a perfect number, and my trusty hybrids came in useful at the end.”
It was indeed a contender for shot of the year, pitching in the perfect spot and feeding onto the green, coming to a stop around six feet from the hole. It quickly became apparent that an eagle would win her the tournament and she held her nerve with ice-cool and steely determination, rolling it right into the centre of the cup and sealing victory.
“I mean, I was just trying to hit a good putt. It was almost a little bit like a Solheim Cup,” she said. “I knew no Irish girl had ever won on the LET before. So, that putt was for me, that putt was for my family, and that putt was for Ireland. It’s a proud moment for all of us.”