Leona Maguire may technically still be a rookie on the LPGA Tour, but after a third-round 65 at the LOTTE Championship, the 26-year-old is showing she feels anything but one. Maguire, who has yet to miss a cut since the 2020 AIG Women’s Open, said she’s happy to see every aspect of her game working in Hawaii when it counts.
“It's been close for a few weeks. Put some really nice rounds together at ANA a couple weeks ago and didn't really capitalize on that as much as I would've liked. But played really nice this side of the year and, yeah, put a lot of work in over the off-season. Changed my irons, which have helped a huge amount, given myself a lot more chances,” said Maguire. “Picked up a little extra yardage, which is helping too on some holes going in with shorter irons into those front pins, especially. Yeah, it's all coming together quite nicely.”
Maguire has experience in the winner’s circle as a professional, winning twice on the Epson Tour at the 2019 Windsor Golf Classic and Epson Classic that earned her her LPGA Tour card for the 2020/21 season. With experiences to look back on, Maguire knows it’ll take everything for the chance to end the final day atop the leaderboard.
“There is a lot of big players in front of me. Obviously Lydia and Nelly are right there and they've been doing it for a while,” said Magurie. “But, no, I mean, it's the same mindset as I had today. Today was moving day. I knew I had to go low to keep up with those ahead and around me. It'll be the exact same tomorrow. Unless they get nasty on us and tuck a few pins. Yeah, it's really a case of going as low as you possibly can and seeing where it stacks up at the end of the day.”
){kind=icon}
)
)
)
