The semifinal matches produced more drama on Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas, Nev., and it will be a Solheim Cup showdown in the championship match at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. Nelly Korda will work to pick up her fourth straight victory as she faces off with Leona Maguire, who is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory since the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in 2023.
Take a look at the semifinal results and preview the championship match at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards:
Match 1 – Leona Maguire def. Sei Young Kim 3 and 2
Maguire came out swinging against Kim, quickly going 2 up after winning holes one and three. Kim landed a blow with a birdie on the par-5 4th hole to get back to 1 down, but Maguire erased that effort just a couple of holes later, parring the 7th hole to once again move two ahead. The Irishwoman struck again on the par-4 10th hole, now sitting 3 up with eight holes to play, and then tied the next three holes with Kim before the Republic of Korea birdied 14 to get back to 2 down. Maguire quickly answered, winning the 15th hole to hold a three-shot advantage with three holes to play, ultimately closing out Kim 3 and 2 with a par on the 16th to earn a spot in the finals at Shadow Creek.
Match 2 – Nelly Korda def. Narin An 4 and 3
Korda raced out of the gate in her match against An, winning the first three holes to take an early 3-up lead, and after a pair of ties on Nos. 4 and 5, landing a one-two punch of birdies on holes six and seven to move to 5 up on An with 11 holes remaining. The Republic of Korea native finally steadied herself with a win on the 10th hole to get back to 4 down, but Korda immediately erased that effort by winning 11 to once again sit five ahead. An tried to get some momentum going in her final holes with a win on the par-3 13th hole, but that effort wound up being futile as the pair tied the next two holes, handing Korda the 4-and-3 semifinal victory in Las Vegas.
Championship Match Tee Time
Match 7, 4:55 p.m. ET – Leona Maguire vs. Nelly Korda
Maguire vs. Korda Solheim Cup History
Korda and Maguire have both represented their respective countries in recent years as members of the U.S. and European Solheim Cup teams. Korda has teed it up in three of the biennial team competitions and boasts a 7-4-1 record with 7.5 points earned for the United States. Maguire has played in the last two iterations of the Solheim Cup, going undefeated as a rookie in 2021 with a 4-0-1 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, and has also recorded 7.5 points for the European Team with a 7-2-1 record.
The pair faced off in two different matches in the team-play portion of the 2021 Solheim Cup, and Maguire, alongside her partner Mel Reid, defeated Korda both times in foursomes. They also played against each other in team play at Finca Cortesin in 2023, and Korda finally picked up a victory against Maguire, finishing 1 up over the Duke University alum and her partner Anna Nordqvist with Allisen Corpuz in the Friday morning foursomes matches.
Maguire answered the call, however, on Saturday afternoon, beating Korda and Ally Ewing 4 and 3 while partnered with LPGA Tour winner Charley Hull and picking up her third career Solheim Cup match victory over the current Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 1.
)
)
)
)
